UC: Vacation Undercover
by TheDreamyOne
Summary: *Epilogue-Completed!!*Co-Authored by Gypsy. Donovan plans a vacation for the team. Little boy pranks leads to a battle of the sexes. Who will be the victor?
1. Default Chapter

Title:  UC: Vacation Undercover

Authors:  Dreamscape and Gypsy

Feedback: PLEASE!

Summary:  Co-Authored by Gypsy.  Donovan plans a vacation for the team.  Little boy pranks leads to a battle of the sexes.  Who will be the victor?

Rating:  R

Disclaimer:   UC:Undercover and its characters used to belong to NBC.  ~L~ Now? Anyway, all rights to Shane Salerno and whoever else claims them.  We're just borrowing.  All other characters are ours.  Don't sue...won't get anything except our puppies and our clones, who only listen to us.

Author's note:  this is just meant to be a fun little romp. Something different. Hope you enjoy it...

"What the hell kind of vacation is this?" Shay demanded, her hands on her hips to demonstrate her irritation.  She looked around the campsite.  Large walk-in tents, porta-potties, sleeping bags, etc. were disbursed over the large area.  A short distance away, amongst the trees, she spotted a rope obstacle course.  "When you said to remind you to take me on a vacation...I was thinking warm tropical beach...seclusion, romance...ya know...just you and me?  Somewhere where we could spend one, maybe two weeks, screwing our brains out, not some survival boot camp, with your entire team, where everything is a competition."  

Any other time, any other place, her remarks and the chuckles amongst the other members of the group might have irked him, but not today.  "Oh, come on, Shay.  You'll enjoy this.  Besides, a little competition never hurt anyone.  We can all use with a little sharpening of our skills."  He could see by the look in her eyes that he made things worse.  He had a vague sense of remembering something his father-in-law had said.  Something about kissing her instead of talking to her, that way he would avoid saying something stupid and rile her anger.  That he had done just that was fairly obvious, although he could not help but find her extremely sexy in her cut-off jean shorts, white cotton half shirt, her long honey-blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail, hiking boots and the thick socks she scrunched down to the top of the boots.

Shay's arms fell to their sides in exasperation.  "Competition."  She nodded as a wicked smiled touched her face.  "I'll give you that, and more," she assured him, moving closer to stand directly in front of him.  Her gaze swept over him.  He looked every bit neat and trim in his tight jeans, white baja shirt, hiking boots, etc. as he did when he wore Armani.  Not fair, she thought, for one man to be so devastatingly handsome.  Always so busy with their work for the government, she had never taken the time to realize that being outdoors suited Donovan.  His dark complexion and swarthy good looks, he would drive any woman insane.  

Looking up into his face, she smiled.  "Now...don't go thinking you get to grow a full beard during this little excursion of yours.  Keep the goatee...but the rest stays clean shaven," she whispered and watched as his brow arched and she ran a hand through his short black hair.  

He groaned.  "Shay, you're being impractical...of course I won't be shaving," he whispered in return.

"Oh?  Darn...well, I guess then...no snuggles with your wife then," she murmured, nuzzling his neck.

"Dammit, you're not playing fair," he accused, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"All's fair in love and war, Tiger," she insisted as her tongue slid around the shell of his ear.

"Fine, fine.  You win this one," he caved with a groan.

She pulled away with a hearty laugh, well satisfied that she had tortured him enough...for now.  There would be plenty of opportunities to pay him back for his idea of a vacation. 

"Well, even if it isn't the most romantic idea for a vacation, we might as well make the best of it," Frankie reasoned as she approached Frank and Shay.

Frankie had on a pair of black shorts that were almost indecently short and tight, a tank top of dark green and matching shirt tucked into the shorts.  Her hiking boots were more like the SWAT tactical boots as they reached her knees and buckled in more places than laced.  Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail.  Behind her, Jake had dropped the large backpack at their tent and started towards Frank, Shay and Frankie.  He was dressed like Frank - tight blue jeans, hiking boots and t-shirt.  He heard Frankie and smiled.

"Yeah, besides, camping can be fun...especially with the right tent mate," Jake commented as he slid an arm around Frankie's waist.

Frankie chuckled.  "Hey, Frank, what's with this place anyway?  It looks like there's room for about fourteen campsites here, and yet, we seem to be the only group."

Frank nodded.  "There are fourteen campsites here at the North Rim of the Black Canyon National Park.  I pulled a few strings and reserved the entire Rim so we would be comfortable without a bunch of strangers nosing into our business.  Besides, it's a chance for everyone to get to know each other better."

"I think he's talking about us, Frankie," Shay said, laughing.

"Ya think?" Frankie replied with a wink.  

Alex strolled over to join the two couples.  She removed her black overcoat, revealing her red tank top, tucked securely into a pair of tight jeans.  She, too, wore a pair of sturdy hiking boots.  "We're also getting a chance to get to know Monica's husband.  They should be arriving soon; their plane from Los Angeles was due to arrive in Gunnison about an hour ago.  My 'friend' is also on that flight."

"Yeah, Alex...just who is your friend?" Cody asked, finally joining the group in the center of the compound.  He had been inspecting his tent and stowing away what equipment he brought with him, against Frank's wishes.

"Got enough techno-geek equipment there, Code-man?" Frankie chuckled.  "Remind me why you brought all that stuff when there's no electricity out here for miles and miles?"

Alex chuckled and nodded toward the sedan that moved slowly toward them and parked outside of the compound.  "You'll find out soon enough, Cody."

The first to exit the vehicle from the rear passenger seat was a tall man, nearly 6'5".  Frank and Jake looked at each other in astonishment as both their wives gasped and pulled away from them to stand beside Alex, blatantly staring at the man with the brown sugar complexion, long black dreadlocks, beefcake muscular build, ebony eyes, perfectly shaped nose, full mouth and well-manicured beard and mustache.  

"Alex, is he yours?" Shay asked in amazement.

Alex could barely shake her head in a negative response; she was just as captivated as the others by the handsome hunk of a man in black jeans and white polo shirt.  "He's Monica's," she finally managed to respond as the man who was being watched so attentively helped Monica out of the vehicle.  Monica waved heartily at her old teammates and friends.

Frankie's mouth hung slightly open in shock.  "Whoa, baby...Monica got herself one hell of a catch in that exotic hunk of male."  Behind the three women, Frank and Jake were getting a little nervous at the ogling going on.

As they approached the group waiting in the center of the compound, the two occupants from the front seats of the sedan emerged, a man from the passenger's side and a woman from behind the wheel.  Alex took off at a dead run and jumped into the arms of the man who stood by the vehicle.  Frankie and Shay looked at each other in amusement before turning their attention back to the new arrivals.

The man Alex had herself wrapped around was not overly tall, perhaps about 5'9", shoulder length dark blonde hair, muscular build.  He laughed deeply while looking into Alex's eyes. "Hey, that's Christian Kelley...you remember him, don't you Jake? Frank?" Cody remarked.

Both Frank and Jake nodded.  Christian was a Championship Surfer who had stumbled upon a mob hit one evening.  Frank remembered how his team had been assigned as protection for the duration of the trial.   He had no idea that Alex had even become friendly with the Surfer, let alone kept in close contact with him.

"He's cute," Frankie whispered.

"Sure he is.  But he's short," Shay replied in a whisper.

"I'm thinking you're right.  But, then again..." she grinned evilly and slid her grey eyes over to her love.  "Jake's about his height, too."

"Yes, he is.  You and I will talk later about lover-boy over there."  Shay winked.

"Oh, thrill," Frankie joked.  "Last time you and I talked, it ended with me in a coma."

Their whispers and thoughts about Alex's friend were interrupted as Monica and her husband joined them.  Jake, Cody, Shay and Frankie greeted Monica with a group hug.  When she turned to Frank and he too hugged her, a look of bewildered surprise appeared on her face.  "It's...ah...good to see you, too, Frank," she finally managed to say as they pulled away from each other.  "With all the craziness that was going on when I left the team...you never got a chance to meet my husband.  Everyone, this is Tyler Gardner.  Ty, this is Frank Donovan and his wife, Shay.  Jake Shaw and his wife, Francesca.  The goofy one, that's Cody..."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Cody.  Couldn't resist," she apologized half-heartedly.  Turning to Alex and Christian, who approached from behind, "And this is Alex Cross and Christian Kelley."

"Please to meet you all," Ty replied, shaking hands with each of them.  

The crunch of footsteps on the gravel behind the group turned their attention to the last occupant of the sedan.  It wasn't difficult to see that Cody was at the very least mildly attracted the to woman.  Shay reached over to him and gently pushed up on his chin until his jaw snapped shut.  Cody turned his head to look at her and Shay winked her response.  Frankie and Alex grinned and covered up the snickers.  Ohhhh, this might turn out to be fun after all if they got to torment the Code-man about being attracted to their guide.

Cody turned his attention back to the 5'6" vision in front of them.  Her light brown hair was pulled back and braided.  The length of the braid swung easily behind her, bouncing off the seat of her khaki pants, making Cody wonder how far below her derriere her hair reached with the braid undone.  He took in the fact that she wore sturdy hiking boots that seemed unnaturally light as she walked.  Her deep tan was accentuated by the crispness of her white shirt.  His gaze once again fell onto her oval face.  She had a pert little nose and the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen.  And those lips...if she sucked in that bottom lip one more time, he would come undone right there before God and everyone.

It was Frankie this time that reached out to close Cody's mouth as he goggled at the young woman.  "She's cute, isn't she?" Frankie whispered.  All Cody could manage in response was a slight nod of his head.

Frank moved forward and extended his hand in greeting.  When the woman took it and gave a firm handshake, he said, "Everyone, this is Kathryn Fellows.  She's a Park Ranger here at the Black Canyon and has agreed to be our guide during our stay."

Frank took her through the introductions to the groups.  When that was through, Katie gave them a stern look.  "We have made special concessions on behalf of your group.  Campfires, which must at all times be properly attended, are permitted here in the main compound."  She indicated the two stone circles set a good distance apart from each other where the campfires would be contained.  "At no time will fires be allowed in the Inner Canyon.  All cooking must be done on a gas stove, which has already been set up for your convenience.  And, as I indicated to Mr. Donovan, all water has to be brought into the campsites.  I'm sure you've noticed the large tank at the end of the compound.  For your convenience, we have set up a makeshift "cold" shower.  It is not something we would do for our guests, but was done at Mr. Donovan's request.  Remember to conserve the water because it will need to last us.  However, I don't foresee anyone taking a lengthy cold shower."  She chuckled nervously.  She hated making speeches and talking to strangers.  That was one of the reasons she had become a Ranger.  Rarely did she have to spend much time with people at all.

She took a deep breath, attempting to brush her nervousness to the side.  "We'll go on a short hike through the woods as soon as you've had a chance to settle in."  Katie noticed Mrs. Donovan tug at her shorts as if contemplating changing her clothing.  "The trail is well formed and easily traversed, so there's no need to bother with changing, unless you would feel more comfortable," she assured and smiled at her.

************

Katie headed up the small group, leading them through the well-defined pathways in the forest.  She noticed the gangly one, Cody, followed close at her heels.  Lord, that was all she needed.  A lovesick puppy nipping at her heels.  Behind him were the ones named Alex and Monica.  They chattered happily as if they were catching up on old times. The two men they were paired with, Christian and Tyler followed them.  Behind them followed Frankie and Jake.  Frank and Shay brought up the rear.

They walked a short distance until they came upon the rope obstacle course.  Katie turned to the group.  "This is... ah... not part of the usual park decor.  I hope Mr. Donovan has explained the general purpose of your week here at the Canyon is not entirely for vacation purposes.  We have planned several activities somewhat in line with your profession.  There will not, however, be any discharging of guns of any kind in the park.  Please keep that in mind."

Cody snickered loudly at the double entendre.  "You don't know these men very well.  Some of them will have a lot of trouble keeping their guns holstered."

"What?!" Katie exclaimed.  "You were told not to bring firearms with you."

"Ah... er... we didn't," Jake replied, smirking.  That elicited chuckles from Frankie and Shay. 

Katie watched as the men tried to hide their smirks and the women just outright laughed at the joke.  It took only a few seconds for the double meaning to sink in and she literally felt the blush on her cheeks. She was sure it was bright enough to light the canyon in the dark and she silently wished a huge boulder would come crashing out from nowhere and crush the little geek who started the stupid joke.

"Oh that was slick for Cody." Frankie muttered to Jake.  "For someone who's apparently taken with the woman, he's going about it the wrong way."

"Hey... Frank and I will talk to him later." Jake whispered back.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Frankie winked and nuzzled Jake's neck slowly as she walked.  Her breathing was coming in shorter bursts now.  The thinner air at this elevation was beginning to take effect.

Katie's look hardened as she turned toward the obstacle course.  "Yes, well, as I was saying...you will all be timed on this course.  Those of you who are employed by the government, your scores will be part of your record.  If you fail to make the required time, you'll have to take the course again in Quantico."  She shrugged.  "Isn't that what you told my superior, Mr. Donovan?"

"Yes, Miss Fellows, it is," Frank admitted.

"Please, call me Katie," she said, smiling.  Her smile was more from amusement than friendliness.  She could see that Mrs. Donovan was not at all happy about the itinerary her husband had planned.  Apparently, he did not include her in these decisions.  Katie shook her head.  Any husband should know that is the first rule of marriage.  Of course, most married couples do not work together.  So, this may be an exception.

"Any other surprises, Agent Donovan?" Shay asked, more than slightly irked.  "You're damned lucky I don't have a gun right now, because I'd shoot you where you live."

Frank blinked at the amount of animosity in her voice.  "What's the big deal Shay?  We were due for evaluations... this is just killing two birds with one stone."

Shay arched a brow at him.  "Right.  And you know what you can do with your birds."

His arms circled her from behind and pulled her tight against him.  She was finding it hard to stay angry with him while he absently caressed her bare midriff with his thumb.  Instead she found herself relaxing against his strength and wishing more and more they were alone.

"Okay now?" he asked with a grin.

Shay kissed his cheek softly.  "For now, Tiger.  For now."

"Ahem," Katie cleared her throat.  "Moving on now," she said with just a hint of sarcasm.  They hiked about twenty feet down the path and Shay noticed Frankie struggling for breath and she looked a bit pale.  Shay had been ready to call ahead to take a break when Katie brought the group to a halt.

"This lake is man made.  You need a Colorado fishing license to fish in the lake, and if you're interested, I'll drive you into town to apply for one," Katie informed them.  "Now... I will caution you.  It is perfectly acceptable to swim in the lake... but please... no skinny-dipping.  Although you have the North Rim to yourselves, remember, people from the South Rim do hike up here and there are several other Rangers that come through here with tours.

Up ahead, Alex took the news with a bit of unhappiness.  "I'll skinny-dip if I damned well want to." She mumbled, and then covered with a smile.  Next to her, her 'friend' Christian grinned an evil plotting smile.

Shay moved over to Frankie.  "You okay? You're lookin' a little worse for the wear."

Frankie nodded.  "Fine, just not used to the high altitude."

"Let's go back then.  There's no hurry to do anything today."

"No, really.  I'm fine," she insisted.

"Are you sure, baby? Maybe we should go back," Jake replied.

"What's going on?" Frank asked, putting his arm around Shay's shoulders.

"Frankie's not... ooh..." Shay trailed off when she noticed Tyler reach behind his head to tie his hair back.  She absently brought her fingers up to run over her mouth as she watched his muscles ripple beneath his shirt.

"Shay?"

"Huh?"

"Shay?" Frank repeated and gave her a little shake.  Only once in the time he had known her had he ever become jealous over another man.  That was when he mistakenly thought Jake had been the father of Little Jake.  He was feeling that jealousy again.  Only this time, the feeling was ten fold.  He had no idea his wife was so fascinated with muscle bound men.

"What?!" Shay demanded, now distracted from her 'distraction'.

"You were saying," he asked.

"I was?"

Jake smirked.  "She was saying that Frankie's feeling a little tired out."   He looked over at Frankie and his smirk faded.  She was apparently just as smitten as Shay with the behemoth.

Frank followed Jake's gaze to see Frankie watching Monica's husband as intently as Shay.  "Maybe we should get them a towel," he said in annoyance.

"What do we need a towel for?" Frankie responded, her eyes still on Ty.

"For the drool running down your chins," Jake snapped.

"Oops!" Shay and Frankie said in unison.  Both women tried to cover their grins as the blushes rose on their cheeks. 

"Is there something you need to share with the group?" Katie asked as she approached the four who stood off by themselves.

Frank nodded.  "We were just talking about heading back to camp. Frankie's having trouble with the altitude and I don't want to press things with her.  She just recently recovered from a coma." 

"Jesus, darlin'!  That was over 6 months ago.  You act like I just woke up last week!  Really, I'm fine.  The doctor cleared me to come up here this morning guys," Frankie insisted.

"Nevertheless, 'darlin'," Shay mocked, "we're going back to camp."  She took Frankie by the arm and started leading her away.

"Hey... ack!" she squeaked as Shay took hold of her and hauled her out of earshot of their guys.

She leaned closer and whispered.  "Sweet Jesus, Frankie... have you ever seen a man so... so..."  

"Godlike?" Frankie whispered in reply. 

"Exactly," Shay said and shuddered while thinking about Tyler.  Together they giggled like schoolgirls as they headed back to camp with the remainder of the group following, including their perplexed husbands

Frank and Jake exchanged looks.  Frankie and Shay did not hit it off at all when they first met, but ever since Frankie and Jake had announced their engagement, the friendship between the two women had grown and blossomed into something that was akin to family.  

Frank was more than grateful for that, because he loved Frankie dearly and it would have been a terrible strain on his marriage if she and Shay had continued to butt heads.  In retrospect, the pairing of these two women might very well be the downfall of society.  He shook his head, and with a grin, followed behind his wife and her "sistah".

....stay tuned to find out what happens around the campfire. ~wink~


	2. Wicked Little Boys

Thanks to all who have reviewed so far and a special **Shoutout to Yarvarni who guessed that I modeled Ty after Keith Hamilton Cobb. Oohhhhh yeah. ~waves~ -Dreamy

After being assured their presence wasn't needed at the grill, the ladies sat across the compound at one of the campfire circles. Katie concentrated on starting the campfire, and looked up when she heard one of the ladies chuckling.

"Look at them," Alex said. "They look like they're discussing the fate of the world, when in reality they're arguing over the best way to grill a hamburger."

"No kidding." Monica commented. "Frank is trying to tell them how to grill it, Jake is trying to do it his own way, my husband is flexing his pecs and staying out of the way... and Christian is probably regaling them with surfing stories while Cody tries to make jokes."

All five of the women burst out in laughter at the same time, causing the guys to turn around and look.

"What's so funny?" Frank asked, a little bewildered.

"Frank, buddy," Cody clapped him on the shoulder. "I think they're laughing at us all trying to grill the hamburgers."

Frank's reaction was to give Cody a look of 'you're touching me. Don't touch me. No touchies, Noooo touchies.' Cody winked confidently and grinned despite Frank's look.

"Dude," Christian said as he looked up at Ty.

"Yes?"

"What exactly do you do anyway? I mean, you've got all the girls ogling you, without even trying."

Frank and Jake glowered in misery together as across the campfire, said girls were 'bonding'.

Cody grinned mischievously. "Ever wonder what the girls talk about when we aren't there?"

"Uhh.. not really." Ty answered.

"Sometimes." Frank said.

"Hell yes." Came Jake's reply. All four other men turned and looked at him. "Well... it's just... You can't honestly tell me that you guys have NEVER wondered what women talk about in their little 'Girl-parties'!"

"It's not something I really spend a lot of time with, Jake. I do have other things to worry about." Frank chuckled.

"Well, Papa Cody has the secret. Among the things I brought with me," he purposefully didn't look at Frank, "are some experimental bugging devices. It wouldn't take me but a second to bug one of them and bring the receiver over here."

"You can't be serious! Cody, that's misuse of departmental equipment!" Frank hissed.

"Oh no it's not!" Cody hissed back. "Keep your voice down or they'll hear you! It's experimental, meaning I developed it a day or so before we left and need something to try it out on. Better here than in the field where if it fails people get hurt."

"He's got a point Frank." Jake said with a shrug. "I just don't know. Bugging the girls wouldn't be... y'know, right. I mean, who wants to hear them talk about... things.."

"This from the man who always wondered what girls talked about at their 'Girl-parties'." Ty laughed.

"Do it Cody." Christian egged. "I'm dying to see what's got Alex grinning mischievously." He nodded towards the girls as they talked quietly.

Katie had gotten the fire started and sat back with the other ladies. Alex and Monica were telling Frankie and Shay stories about Jake and Cody before Frank came into the group, then some stories involving Frank. More than once, Katie's eyes drifted over to the cluster of men. She slid her gaze over each man in turn. Oh yeah, these were some lucky women to have such attentive and gorgeous specimens of men at their side. And then there was Cody. The geeky looking one who cracked that holstered guns joke that had made her cheeks light up like the sunset. He was kinda cute... in a geeky sort of way...

"Hel-loooo..." Shay waved her hand in front of Katie's eyes.

"OH!" she gasped and snapped back to the conversation. "I'm so sorry!"

"Drooling over one of the guys?" Alex asked with a laugh. Everyone else joined in, laughing good-naturedly with her. Katie felt a smaller blush creep up her cheeks again.

"Yeah. Just.. day-dreaming I guess."

"So...?"

"So... what, Shay?"

"So... who were you day-dreaming about?"

"Oh, I couldn't tell you. I'd be upset if some strange woman admitted to having day-dreams about my man."

"Oh puh-leeze. I've seen the way Shay and Frankie turn into zombies when they ogle my Ty. Girl, ain't nothin' 'bout nothin'. You ain't gonna hurt nobody's feelings or offend them!"

Katie giggled and nodded. "I understand that, but I just don't feel right telling that."

"Ease up there, Head-Doc!" Frankie laughed. "She's shy, give her another day or two with us and we'll break her out of that shyness."

Jake shot a look over at the group of women when he heard his wife laugh loudly. He had to know...it was driving him crazy. "Do it, Cody," he insisted.

Frank shook his head. "I still say it's a bad ..." he trailed off as Shay busted out laughing and practically fell out of the chair she was sitting in. "Do it."

Cody winked and walked to his tent as nonchalantly as he was capable. When he returned he handed Jake a small pin.

"What's this for?"

"Its the bug...its teeny tiny and lines the sides of the pin. Put that in Frankie's braid. She'll never know it's there," Cody insisted.

"She better not, Cody, because if she finds it, she'll kill me. And if there's such a thing as an afterlife...I'll be coming back for you."

"Go on dude, do it!" Christian urged with a grin.

Jake nodded and walked over to the ladies and knelt next to Frankie. With a soft caress to her hair, he slid the bug into her braid as he said, "If Frank ever decides which side of the meat should hit the grill first, we might have dinner soon."

Everyone laughed and Shay said, "Fageddaboutit. He thinks he's the King of the Canyon, Jake. You bettah listen to da mahn."

"Stop it!" Alex laughed, holding her sides.

Jake smiled and kissed Frankie's cheek before returning to the boys. Shay followed his movements and finally spoke when he was out of earshot.

"Here," Cody said, handing each of the men a tiny earpiece. "If all is working correctly, we should be able to hear every sound they make."

...stay tuned to find out what secrets the ladies reveal about their men. ~grin~


	3. Sharing Secrets

**************

"So, what were we talking about before Jake came over?" Shay asked the group.

"Frankie wanted to know how you and Frank came to be together," Katie reminded her.  She was shocked to realize she wanted to know as much as the others.

"Oh dear....we'll be here all night.  Short version?"  

The men watched passively and saw four heads bob in unison.  

"Okay.  Me, undercover DEA, held hostage in order to get one Franklin Donovan to Colombia.  Frank was tortured and during our escape a snake bit him.  Jake, who was hiding out a short distance away, bullet in his leg, couldn't possibly take care of the Big Guy, so Me, skimpy dress, completely nude underneath and barefoot to boot carried his ass over my shoulder for a couple miles through the jungle."

"Holy....and you've been together ever since?" Katie asked fascinated.

"Oh, hell no!" Alex interjected.  "After that little fiasco...Shay...or should I say FALLON, disappeared off the face of the earth for about thirteen months."

Shay shrugged and bit back a smile.  "I had issues."

"That was YOU!" Frankie exclaimed in surprise.  "Jesus, Frank was a mess after that."

Shay nodded.  "Trust me, I was no prize afterwards either.  And, God help me, when I got transferred to the unit to take Mon's place..."

"Oh yeah...the sexual tension between those two..." Alex purred.  "We even placed bets on how long it would take for them to wind up in the sack."

"No!" Frankie exclaimed, laughing loudly.

Alex nodded.  "Cody won that bet.  Three days."

Shay grinned and rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, well...what can I say?  Damn sexy bastard had me goin' in all directions.  I couldn't have told you which way was up if you pointed toward the sky."

"So....."

"So, what, Mon?" Shay asked, playing dumb.  

"So how hot is the IceMan in bed?"

"Oh, hon...you just can't imagine," Shay admitted.  "The man is insatiable.  And most creative...and he makes the sexiest noises when he..."

"Say it, Shay...don't be a wuss," Frankie goaded.

"Cums, okay...cums."  Shay squealed.  She began to laugh uncontrollably and slid off the chair and landed on the ground with a thud.

"But sistah, the question is...do YOU?" Monica asked, trying on a mask of seriousness and failing miserably.

"What?" Katie asked.  "Make sexy noises or cum?"

The other four women's jaws dropped, not expecting Katie to join them in the gutter.  What composure remained was lost in group squeals and laughter.  

"He...he..."  Shay couldn't even speak she was laughing so hard.

"He makes the ground tremble..." Frankie finished for her.  "Leaves you breathless and begging for more?"

Shay nodded as her laughter subsided.  "I thought you said you never slept with Frank."  The slightest twinge of jealousy could be detected in her voice.

"Never did, Sistah.  I was talking about Jake."  Frankie winked.

Both she and Shay shared a dazzling smile and both released a sigh at the same time.  

Frank shook his head and grumbled as he tossed the hamburgers on the grill.  "I can't believe her sometimes.  What would possess her to share such intimate details of our sex lives?"

Ty slapped him firmly on the back.  "I wouldn't complain if I were you, Donovan.  There isn't a man here, or anywhere for that matter, who wouldn't love to know whether he pleased his woman or not.  The ground trembles? Leave her breathless and begging for more?  Damn, man...you own that woman."

Frank lifted his head to glance at the ladies at the same moment Shay locked eyes with him.  Her smile...damn how she turned him inside out.  Absently, his tongue ran over his bottom lip and his thoughts turned to getting past the meal and being alone with her in their tent.  He suddenly felt a bit dirty for spying on her and the other women.  He would make it up to her in some way. 

"Wow," Katie said.  "How amazing."

"Naw.  What's really amazing... is that each of us here can say the same thing.  Our guys ALL make each of us feel the same thing.  When we're with him, we don't give a damn about the rest of the world.  All is right as the rain, the earth moves and we give up our most intimate passions just to him and him alone."  Frankie sighed softly.

"Amen, Sistah," Shay responded jubilantly.  

"What about you Frankie?  How did you and Jake finally hook up?" Monica asked.

"Ohhh... long story," she laughed.  "A lot like Shay and Frank - except mine takes place over a few years."

"I think we got time.  I don't smell anything burning yet." Alex giggled.

"Well, You guys know I met Jake and Frank... well, the whole team while I was being blackmailed by Morhoff, right?"

All the girls nodded except Katie.  "Uh, I.."

"SHIT! Sorry Katie.  A few years ago, an arms dealer in Chicago was blackmailing me.  In short, he threatened my health while in the presence of my brother and my brother had emotional fits.  To keep him quiet, I went along with whatever Morhoff said."

"Eric was about 10 years old mentally." Monica added.  Katie nodded as if that made things a lot more clear.

"So... For one reason or another, the team was sent in to get me out. Morhoff was the actual target; I was a secondary prize.  Jake was flirting with me without even knowing who I was.  Eventually everything went down and Morhoff was arrested.  Fast-forward a year or three to about 7 months ago.  Frank was having some issues personally, Alex was out of town, a good friend of mine got killed as part of a serial killing spree and at my friend's funeral, Jake and Frank asked me in to help the case.  I went down to Florida with Jake to talk to the coroner down there.  While there, Jake and I kinda gave in and started some heavy petting.  However, a certain female who shall remain nameless.." Frankie coughed, the noise sounding suspiciously like 'Shay'

Shay and Alex giggled.  They'd heard the story already and knew what happened.  "Anyways, a phone call interrupted us and Jake passed it off as nothing."

"Oh no he did not!" Monica gasped.

"What a jerk!" Katie sniffed.

"Oh he made it up to me.  Anyways, to make a long story short -"

"TOO LATE!" the other four women chimed in at once before they all dissolved into laughter.

"Anyways, Jake knew he was wrong, I gave him the ice queen routine and rubbed his nose in it for about a day, I got shot in the back saving Shay's life, wound up in a coma after dying twice on the table, Jake stayed by my side while in the coma for three weeks and woke up to him telling me he loved me."

"How sweet!!  Not the coma part, but the waking up part."  Katie sighed sappily.

"It was.  He took care of me for the next couple of months.  Insisted I move in with him while I was in therapy.  He proposed to me right in front of the therapist and her assistants!!"

"Oh my.  Talk about romantic." Monica grinned.

"No kidding.  I'm still finding all those little 'sweet-spots' on his body that do the trick."

"Sweet-spots?" Katie blinked.

"Yeah.  Every guy has.. well, everyone really, has certain spots on their body that just DO it for them.  Sweet spots." Alex laughed.  "Christian's is behind his knees."

"Tyler's main spot is the small of his back.  I can rub his back for hours but if I wanna get him fired up and ready for an all-nighter, I just rub the small of his back for a few minutes."

"Sounds like a wind-up toy!" Katie giggled.

"Oh honey, all men are." Shay laughed.  "Stroke them right and they just get all sorts of energized!  Frank's is...oh, I shouldn't say.  I mean...some of you work with him; he'd never forgive me.  If he knew the things I've told you already, he'd shoot me dead."

"Sure, he would...not!" Alex said, laughing.  "Damn, Shay...he went to hell and back with you on a few occasions.  I don't think telling cutsie stories about him is gonna change how he feels about you."

"To hell and back?" Katie questioned.  "What did you do?"

Shay blinked.  "Me?  Nothing...everything...."  She sighed and shook her head.  "Well, remember I said Frank and I didn't get together when we first met?"

"Uh-huh," Katie nodded.  

"After Jake and I got Frank to relative safety in a tiny hospital in Bucamaranga, Colombia, I found out I was pregnant."

"Shay..." Frankie breathed.  "I've wondered about that, but Jake would never tell me...and well, you and I..."

"Yeah, I know, Frankie.  We got off to a rocky start.  Funny how a little thing like a bullet could form a bond between us.  That and the fact that the godfather of my children adores you so much."  Shay reached over and placed a hand over Frankie's.  "Now, it's like you're the sister I never had and always wanted."  

Frankie smiled warmly.  "Me too.  Now, about being preggers the first time..."

Shay laughed.  "Okay.  Jake would never tell you this, because it's a touchy subject for me.  LJ's birth father was the drug lord I was sent undercover to investigate in Colombia."

Katie gasped in relative horror.  "Did you love him?"

Shay shuddered in disgust.  "No, hon...na-never.  I had to shut myself off...literally to get through that assignment.  Anyway, I was devastated when I found out I was pregnant.  I ran away...disappeared.  When I returned to the team as Mon's replacement, I had a six-month-old little boy.  It wasn't long after Frank and I finally put the past behind us that LJ was kidnapped by his birth father...who we thought was dead."

"That must have been horrible, Shay," Monica said, reaching over to brush Shay's hair back from her shoulder.  "I'm sorry I wasn't around to help."

"Thanks, Mon.  Yeah...it was bad.  I lost myself somewhere along the line.  It was a couple of weeks later before we found where he'd been taken.  But...Jorge...he wanted the whole package...Mama and baby.  I played Frank...made him believe Jorge was in one place and went to meet Jorge where he was actually holed up.  It was bad...but, somehow...Frank found me.  Just in time, and he never made me feel guilty for what I had done...he just loved me and LJ all the more, if that was possible."

"Wow again," Katie responded.

Shay nodded.  "Ya know, I could spout all night about the wondrous things he's done or does...but the thing I remember the clearest...is the first time he held Ariel just after she'd been born."  She paused and bestowed one of those special mother smiles on the group of women.  "I've seen the man in many situations, a strong, noble man.  I've seen him at his happiest...but nothing compares to the joy and the light that comes into a man's eyes the first time he holds his daughter."

Shay heard Frankie sigh as she sat back into her chair.  Her face had become shadowed in thought for just a moment before she shook it off and Shay could see the mischievous Frankie come back.

"Okay, okay..." Alex groaned.  "So, are ya gonna tell us Frank's sweet-spot, or not?!"

"Tell, or I'll make Cody your partner in the Kayaking," Monica threatened.

Shay balked at that idea.  "His left butt cheek, dammit.  A soft touch over that cheek and wham-o...instant love slave."

Cody cast a glance at Frank, who turned suddenly, a large cooking fork firmly in his grasp.  "Don't even think about it, geek-boy."

Christian was on the verge of losing it.  The laughter was about to bubble up and spill out.  He had to turn his back to all of them before he let loose and the women found out what they were up to.

The girls all dissolved into laughter again.  Frankie grinned, her eyes sliding over to Jake as he stood with the guys apparently doing nothing. "Know what else is amazing?"

"What?" These women fascinated the young Ranger.  She had always been a loner and never had any of these "girlie" moments before.

"Jake's spot is right at the back of neck.  If I run my nails over it....he practically cums right then and there."  Frankie nodded her head as if she was delivering gospel to the masses.

"Oh, Jacob Aaron Shaw...tell me he doesn't loose his wad prematurely," Shay commented with a wicked grin.

"Hush your mouth," Frankie admonished.  "He's like the Energizer Bunny...keeps going and going and going...."  Her eyes twinkled as she leaned forward to whisper... "So far... his record is 2 hours."

"Stop it!" Shay screamed in laughter.  "My sides are killing me."

"Jake...what's wrong with your face?" Cody asked playfully.  

"I..uh...she..." Jake stammered.

Frank grinned.  "Not so much fun when it's you they're holding the measuring stick up to, is it?"

"It's...forget it," he growled.  He was angry...and embarrassed...and mostly hurt that Frankie would share things that should only be between them.  He looked up at Frank who was gazing longingly at Shay and showed no animosity towards her whatsoever.  By all accounts, it looked as if he wanted to stride over to the group, scoop her up, carry her off and ravage every inch of her.  Jake shook his head in confusion.  He was too angry with Frankie to want to touch her...how did Frank get past that feeling?

All five of the women were laughing hysterically until Monica hushed everyone.  "Do you smell that?"

"OH MY GOD!" Alex yelled.  "The hamburgers are on fire!"

************

.... nighttime is nigh people...and activities abound in our next episode....stay tuned!!!


	4. In the Heat of the Night

************

Still hungry from their dinner of cucumbers and fruit after the badly botched hamburger incident, his stomach rumbled loudly.  Rolling onto his side, he spooned in behind his wife and draped an arm over her possessively.   She murmured something unintelligible as he nuzzled her neck just below her ear.  

"Ty," she sighed dreamily as she ran her hand through his hair.

"What the hell?" Frank growled.  

Shay's pretense failed as she fell into a fit of giggles.

"That wasn't funny," he barked and swatted her behind.

"Ooh...do that again," she joked as she turned to lie on her back.  "I was just teasing.  I'm sorry I've been behaving so badly when it comes to him...I've just never seen a body like that up-close and personal." 

"Just don't get any more up-close and personal than you have."

"Tiger...nothing compares to you," she whispered assurances in his ear as she tenderly ran her fingertips down his arm to his hip to swirl soft, tiny circles down and around his buttock...his LEFT buttock.  "I love you...your touch...the feel of you...the way we feel together..."  She could feel him hardening against her thigh.  "Now, go to sleep...daylight comes early according to Katie."

Shay giggled as he flopped back on to his pillow and elicited a loud painful groan of unfulfilled passion.  The giggle was a cover...a lie.  She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she was still upset with him and his idea of a vacation.  She would give over to him soon enough...in the meantime; he deserved to suffer a little.

In actuality, he was suffering.  He gave his wife a sideways glance as he plotted to release himself from the ache she had created in his loins.  He waited patiently until she rolled back onto her side and snuggled up against her.  He heard her pleasant sigh as his breath fanned her earlobe.  Slowly, he trailed soft, moist kisses along her neck until he reached the spot she was most sensitive and suckled the delicate flesh until she moaned with rapture.

"Not fair," she whispered breathily.

"Never said I played fair," he replied in a hushed whisper as Shay rolled onto her back.  

He lowered himself to her, the feel of her skin and soft, supple breasts tantalizing him further.  Shay writhed underneath him, quietly begging his entrance.  As he slid into her and she gloved around his hardness, his lips sought hers hungrily.  He broke the kiss momentarily when they heard a soft cry in the near distance.  Frank chuckled softly as his lips descended to Shay's once again and before they touched, he whispered, "Kowabunga, dude."

************

Frankie shifted next to Jake, her eyes popping open at the soft cry across the camp.  She snickered, trying to stifle it and not wake Jake up.  "Way to go Alex..." she whispered.

"Mmmm?" Jake mumbled as he came out of his dreams.  "What... what about Alex?"

"She and her surfer rode the pipeline." She giggled, and rolled over to press up against Jake's side.  She slid one leg between his as her hand drifted up his stomach.

"Hm mm... no.." he muttered as her thigh brushed against him intimately. Despite the irritation he felt at her divulging their bedroom secrets, he felt himself responding to her.

"That's not what your body says," she drawled out slowly, her thigh working gently against him as he hardened more and more.

"Francesca, stop it."  Jake pushed her hand off of his chest and sat up.

"What's wrong?"

"You.." Jake stopped.  He had been about to start yelling at her for what she'd said to the girls when they thought no one was listening.  But, if he did that, then there'd be this huge screaming match and he would wind up on the wrong end.  Because he knew he was wrong.  He'd bugged his own wife, and then turned seven shades of scarlet red when she started sharing secrets about them.  If he told her what was wrong, she'd be more than hurt.

"Me, what Jake?"  Frankie sat up next to him, a confused look on her face that bordered on hurt.

"I... You.  I'm worried about you.  This trip might not have been a good thing for you.  You're still not 100% yet, baby."

Closer this time, another voice broke the silence with an 'Oh God!'.

Frankie grinned up at Jake as she got onto her hands and knees, her nose a breath from Jake's.  "Oh pish.  I just have to take it a bit slower than everyone else and listen to what my body is telling me."  She smiled slowly as her hand drifted up his thigh to grasp him firmly.

"Frankie..." he groaned.

She whispered in his ear, the tip of her tongue stroking his ear as her hand stroked him lovingly.  He grew harder still in her hand, his eyes glazed slightly before he closed them and gave in to her.

"Petarde..." he groaned.  "Mi Petarde." He growled as she pushed him down on his back and knelt over him.  Down his chest and stomach she kissed, licked and nibbled as he began to squirm and writhe under her touch.  She still stroked him, her thumb rubbing gently over the head.

Frankie purred softly, finally reaching her destination.  With a soft lick, she winked up at him.

"Frankie.." he gasped.  "No.."  He sat up, reaching for her.

"Si" she whispered as her lips circled his head warmly.  She was rewarded with a sharp hiss of air being sucked between Jake's teeth.  Slowly she took all of him into her mouth, sucking and stroking him with her tongue.

Jake's hips started bucking with a life of their own up to meet her each time her mouth sank down him.  His fingers tangled into her hair, loose and free of the braid from earlier.  Gradually his hips increased in speed and became erratic.  He was coming closer...

Frankie pulled off and glided up his body to crush her lips to his. Swiftly he rolled her over and in one fluid move, thrust into her.  She was more than ready and eager to accept him.  Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck even as her legs locked over his waist.  However, she was totally unprepared for what Jake did next.

He grinned devilishly and shifted, lifting her hips over his knees and pulling her up to sit on his lap as he knelt on his knees.  Frankie felt like she was going to explode right then and there.  She let out a soft shriek as he sank deeper into her.  "Sweet Jesus" she whispered as Jake's arms circled around her back and crushed her to his chest.

"Amen" he growled against her lips as they moved against each other desperately. Right when he thought that he was going to hurt her, her head rolled back from his mouth with another quiet shriek, her body convulsing around him.

"Salvacion... Mi... Salvacion" she whispered and rested her forehead on his shoulder.  He was still sheathed inside her and not finished yet.  Jake grinned evilly as he lowered her to the ground under him.

--

Petarde = Firecracker

Mi Salvacion = My Salvation

************

...and just how will things progress the morning after?  stay tuned.....


	5. Morning Afterglow

************

Sunrise found the still sleeping campsite peaceful, for the most part.  One by one, the campers staggered out and grumbled their attempts at 'good morning'.  Katie and Cody were the brightest, not having anything but a good night's sleep - even if punctuated by the occasional cry or very loud groan.

"Morning everybody!" Katie chirped cheerfully.  "I've already got the coffee started and breakfast is ready to be cooked.  Go wash up and meet me by the campfire!"

Down at the cold showers, there was a small trough next to them just right for brushing teeth and washing hands.  Alex and Cody were there first, followed by Monica, Frank, Tyler, Christian and Shay.  They were all drowsy and the women were semi-glowing.

"I think I slept on a rock." Alex grumbled.

"You did." Christian grinned with a wink.  That elicited a round of laughter from everyone.

"I think tonight we'll all need earplugs.  I kept hearing strange noises in the night."   Frank snickered softly.

"Oh, you know what?"  Tyler said, "I did too.  Some of them even coming from over by your tent there, Frank."

"Hey..." Cody stopped and looked around.  "Where's Jake and Frankie?"

Alex, Shay and Monica snickered so badly that the guys thought they were going to choke on their own tongues.  But suddenly they all remembered the eavesdropped conversation and Frankie's comments about an energizer bunny. The guys too burst out laughing at the thought.

A pair of strangled cries coming from across the camp broke the laughter.  All seven stopped what they were doing and turned around towards the tents.  A strained silence filled the campsite as one by one they all took a few steps towards the tents.  Katie had heard it too and stood up from her place by the campfire.

Precious few minutes passed as they all inched closer to the one still closed tent.  When they were about 10 feet from it, the flaps burst open and Frankie stumbled out, lost her footing and sagged to her knees.  She was wearing a long t-shirt that covered her down to her thighs and her hair was helter-skelter and tangled like a rat's nest.

Slowly she stood up, carefully testing out her footing as she did.  When she looked up and said good morning, everyone could hear the glow in her voice and see how much her lips were swollen.  Anyone who looked at her neck would see the love bites and hickeys left there from the night before.

"Uh... Frankie..." Shay whispered.  "Are you... alright?"

"Why, Shay darlin', Ah'm right as the rain." she chirruped and stumbled off towards the porta-potties.  As she pushed past them, they all heard her singing something similar to "your eyes met mine, you skirt began to rise, and so did I now you know that I took that prize... does he run it deep enough to take you there?  Oh, tell me baby..."

Frank, Shay, Katie and Cody stood on one side, Tyler, Monica, Alex and Christian on the other side, watching her as she sashayed across the campsite.  A noise made them look back to see Jake stumble out of the tent in a pair of jeans with his t-shirt in hand.  Their eyes widened at the bite marks on his chest and neck, accompanied by the hickeys left along his neck and chest at random places.

"What?" he asked as he grinned boyishly and followed his wife towards the water facilities.  All eight pairs of eyes watched Jake sidle up behind his wife and slid his arms around her waist in a tight and intimate embrace.

"Amazing." Frank said.

"What?" Monica whispered as they all watched Frankie turn around and lay the mother of all kisses on Jake.

"He is the Energizer Bunny."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Their tent is next to ours."  Shay answered.  "We both heard them about 10 minutes after we heard you, Alex."

"WHAT?" Alex gasped.

"And several more times that night.  Rather, I should say we heard Frankie... " Frank said with a touch of awe in his voice.

Shay grinned and winked at Katie, Alex and Monica.  With a giggle, she offered a last comment before moving off towards the campfire.  "I think there's a new record."

Frank joined her at the campfire.  He took a deep breath as he slid behind her and pulled her backwards into his embrace.  "Record?"

"Oh, you know...how long Jake can hold his wad," Shay replied coolly as if this was just talk about the weather.

"His wad?"  Frank asked incredulously.  "Tell me you ladies weren't swapping sexual tales while we were preparing dinner."

"Burning dinner," Shay corrected and turned to face him within the circle of his arms.  "Does it bother you to know that women discuss sex, Hotstuff?"  She wound her arms around his neck, kissed his chin and giggled when the soft hair of his goatee tickled her upper lip.

Frank thought about the conversation they had eavesdropped on the night before.  No amount of embarrassment could erase the love he felt and heard radiating from her very being when she discussed him, the kids, their past together and apart.  "No, I suppose it doesn't bother me all that much.  But I must know..."

Shay smiled knowingly.  "Tiger, thirty minutes...an hour, two hours...FIVE hours or more...would make little difference to me if you were not my lover."  When his lips met hers, she sighed happily as his tongue slid past her parted lips to dip inside the warmth of her mouth.  They touched and tasted each other and subsequently lost track of time.  

"Ahem," Cody cleared his throat loudly.  "Get a tent."

Katie chuckled softly as she stood beside him.  

Cody turned slightly and smiled at her.  "You would never believe this, but the Big Guy, here...he's not much in the way of PDAs."

"PDAs?" Katie questioned.  

Shay moaned as Frank broke their kiss.  "Public Displays of Affection.  And...Cody's right, normally we're pretty low keyed."

Frank pulled her close to his chest and laughed.  "I'd like to think that's only because we work together.  Otherwise..."

"Otherwise, I'd be puking from all the sappy shit that went on in the nest," Cody remarked with a wink at Katie.  

Katie found herself smiling at the "goofy one" as Frankie and Shay called him.  Funny, she was finding him less and less goofy.  Must be all the mushiness in the air with these paired lovers, she reasoned to herself.  Things would get back to normal once this 'vacation' was over and they were gone.  Back to normal...and boring as all get out.

"So, what's on the agenda today, Miss Ranger Guide-like person?" Cody asked, grinning like a fool.

Katie giggled.  "Nothing too taxing.  Want you to get used to the thin air before we do anything tough.  Today...just a little target practice."

"You said no guns," Alex said, joining the group and grinning, eyeing her boss who was still busily kissing up a storm with his wife.

"Sheesh..." Katie said, shaking her head.  "What is it with you guys and guns?"

Alex shrugged.  "All I know is...I feel damned nekkid without mine."

"Nekkid...who's nekkid?" Christian joked as he joined Alex.  "You don't look very nekkid to me...but that could be arranged."  He wiggled his brow.

Alex slapped him playfully.  "Isn't it bad enough that they heard...." she trailed off and her cheeks turned a deep crimson.

"Heard you coming?" Shay finished for her and received a soft shake from Frank for her lack of decorum.  "What?  The whole camp heard her."

"Um..." Cody said, shifting nervously on his feet.  "Hate to break it to ya, Boss's wife...but you weren't too quiet yourself.  Either that, or you sure call to God a lot..."

Monica laughed as Shay buried her face against Frank's chest.  "No hiding it now, Shay.  You shouted to the heavens last night, girlfriend."

Shay had the nerve to look piqued.  "Oh, come on!  I wasn't that loud."  

Frank chuckled deeply.  "Well...let's just say on the scale of one to ten..."

"That you better shut-up before I make Lorena Bobbit look like Little Miss Suzy Sunshine," Shay snapped.

'Ohhhkay," Frank replied, grinning.  "What were you saying about target practice?"

"Yeah...do we get to pick the targets?" Shay asked, glancing sternly at Cody.

"Hey..."

"Mornin' guys." Frankie piped up softly.  "I hope everyone slept good."

Everyone turned to see Frankie standing behind them, dressed in a pair of black jean shorts and a red low-cut tank, her hair twisted up into a clip. Her boots were on, but unlaced and Jake was nowhere to be seen.  "What?" she asked.

"You hope WE all slept good?" Shay asked with a giggle.  "YOU hope?  Oh 'She Who Bounces The Energizer Bunny Until..' " she checked her watch, " 8 a.m.?"

"Oh, that."  Frankie giggled softly and sat down to lace her boots up.  "Jake's rather... ahh... amorous in the mornings.  This morning, while most excellent, was nothing compared to a few others."

Tyler looked at Christian, who looked at Cody, who looked at Frank.  If THAT noise they'd all heard this morning was excellent but paled compared to others, their neighbors must really hate them.

"Morning!! What's on the plate for today?"  Jake smiled and fairly chirped as he joined the group.  "What's for breakfast? I'm starved!"

All the guys looked at Jake while the girls all bust out laughing.

"What?" Jake asked, completely confused.

"Hey Jake, I need to ask you a question." Tyler grinned and put his arm around Jake's shoulder, leading him off to another part of the campsite.

"Wait!! I need to ask him too!!" Christian shouted and followed after.

Frank looked at Shay with a grin, and then silently followed after them.  Cody was left behind with an indignant look on his face.

"Well, it's not like I have a reason to ask him..."  He looked over...  then took off running for the group.

All the women just fell down giggling hysterically.

"Ohhhh good heavens," Monica wheezed out.  "They are all so damned transparent!"

"What do you mean?" Katie asked.

Alex sobered up a bit and winked.  "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?"

Shay laughed and put her arm around the younger woman's shoulders.  "They're all over there trying to figure out a polite way of asking Jake how he keeps it up for so long.  If they can get Jake to share some of his tips and secrets, then I think we're all in trouble later on tonight!"

All five of them dissolved into giggles again, leaving the guys to turn around with some devilish looks on their faces... and one pink-cheeked Jake standing in the middle.

************

bows, arrows and mischievous men....what good can come of that?  ....find out next chapter!


	6. Bows and Arrows...and What a Shaft!

************

They took the short trek to a clearing near the lake that Katie had shown them the previous day.  Five stacks of hay bales set up at different distances.  All had paper targets attached to them.  The circular targets had three outer rings surrounding the red bulls-eye in the center.  The ring furthest out was a solid blue while the two rings in between remained white.   

"Okay people," Katie began, clapping her hands together soundly.  "The blue ring is worth one point...the white three...bulls-eye five.  I'll keep score for you; this is just a little friendly competition.  It means nothing for your government record."

"Archery?" Shay looked at the row of recurve bows and several quivers full of arrows.  "Damn...its been...."

"Many years," Monica finished, her eyebrow raised.  

"Care to make a little friendly wager?" Christian piped up.

Shay cast him a sideways glance.  Why did she get the unmistakable feeling he was up to no good?  "Such as?"

"Loser does the cleanup for the duration."

"Losers," Frankie joined with a nod.  "Men vs. Women."

"Frankie..." Shay pulled her to the side.  "You do realize Donovan is an expert?"

"Shit."

"We'll take that bet," Ty added his two cents.

"Thanks a lot, Frankie," Monica groaned.

"Don't worry, guys...remember...they've got Cody on their side."  

"Whoa...whoa.  That's five men...four women.  Katie, you in?" Shay asked, hoping Katie was good with a bow.

"Why not?" she agreed, smiling playfully.   "What's the worse that can happen?"

"Frank burns dinner again," Shay quipped and all five women burst out laughing.

"Practice shots?" Frank asked, choosing to ignore his wife's remarks.  

"No...do it cold," Alex insisted.

Cody opened his mouth to make a lewd comment but was stopped by a whisper in his ear.  "Don't think that would impress her too much," Jake said quietly.

"Who?"

"Puh-lease."  Jake shook his head and went to pick out a bow.  

"First up...Christian, since this was his bright idea," Katie insisted.  She pointed to a bare patch of earth.  "Stand there.  One arrow per target."

He placed the arrow's nock on the string and pulled back, taking aim at the target closest to him.  White - three points.  In succession, he hit white, blue, blue, blue for a total of nine points.

Alex went next.  White, white, blue, white, miss.  Ten points.

Tyler followed Alex.  Bulls-eye, white, white, blue, blue.  Thirteen points.

Monica went next.  Blue, white, white, white, blue.  Eleven points

Jake followed Monica.  Bulls-eye, bulls-eye, white, bulls-eve, blue.  Nineteen points.

Frankie followed Jake.  Blue, white, white, bulls-eye, bulls-eye.  Seventeen points.

Cody went next.  Blue, blue, blue, white, miss.  Six points.

Katie chose her bow.  She felt bad for Cody even though he played off his score.  She was almost tempted to shoot poorly, but was not willing to clean up after the men for the next week or so.  White, white, bulls-eye, white, blue.  Fifteen points

Men = forty-seven.  Women = Fifty-three.

Frank insisted on going last.  Shay stuck her tongue out at him when he pushed her gently to the mark.  Blue, white, bulls-eye, bulls-eye, white.  Seventeen.

That brought the ladies total score to seventy.  Frank would have to get four bulls-eyes and one white, at the very least.  He smiled confidently and stepped up to the mark.  Taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, he went for the target farthest away.  Bulls-eye.  The next farthest.  Bulls-eye.  The next.  Bulls-eye.  The next.  Bulls-eye.

Shay looked nervously at her "teammates".  While on the other side of the fence, the men were whooping it up.  

"Damn, Frank...one more to go...this ought to be a walk in the park for you," Cody commented.

Frank grinned and shrugged.  "No big thing, Cody.  All it takes is concentration.  Blocking out all outside stimuli.  Don't let the distraction in.  Make the shot when you must."  He stepped on the mark, placed the arrow's nock on the string, steadied his aim and slowly pulled back on the bowstring.

Shay winked at Frankie as she quietly approached Frank and leaned close.  Just as Frank firmed his grip, she whispered so that only he could hear, her breath fanning the shell of his ear,  "How I would love to wrap my fingers around your shaft."  Frank's grip on the string slipped, sending the arrow wide and into the unknown with a loud 'thwip'.  "Sonofabitch," he cursed, laughing.  He set the bow aside and turned to "glare" at Shay.  

"Oh, shit!" she squealed and took off running with Frank close behind her.  The sound of men and women's joined laughter followed them.

************

Shay released a loud whoop when his arms captured her from behind, lifted her and spun her playfully around several times before setting her back on her feet and turning her around to face him.  She watched as his lighthearted look hardened and her laughter ebbed.  "Frank?"

"You'll pay for that, Shay Ashling Donovan," he stated matter-of-factly.  Surprisingly, he wasn't upset with her at all.  He was enjoying the mischievous mood the group had, and would not want it any other way.  Their lives held too much seriousness in them as it was.  However, that was not going to stop him from letting Shay think he was upset.  If only to see how she would try to justify what she had done.

"Oh?" She shivered at the sound of her full name.  Unlike most people, he only used it when he wanted to make her crazy with desire.  The way her name sounded coming from his lips sent tremors of longing through her and settled low at her core.  

He advanced and she retreated until she was pinned up against a large oak tree.  "You know damn well you lost that competition," he accused.

"Okay, okay...I'll help with the duties," she caved.  

"To hell with the duties," he growled lowly, pressing the length of his body against her as his lips caressed the soft hollow of her throat.  God help him, he was hard with wanting her.

Shay moaned softly as she worked his shirt loose from his jeans and slid her hands lazily along the smooth skin of his back.  "Mmm..." she murmured in his ear.  "Say it again, Tiger...say my name..."

He whispered to her, gently, like a soft breeze on a summer day.   "Shay.... Ashling ...._mon cadeau, mon rêve, ma vision_,"  he managed to say before she crushed her lips to his hungrily.  

Between torrid kisses Shay whispered, "How do you...do this...to me?  I...need you...so...so badly."  She whimpered softly as he nibbled and suckled her tender throat.  He had worked her tank top free from her jeans and his hands kneaded her breasts, his thumbs flicking over the hardened nipples causing her to cry out her pleasure.

"Shhh....they'll hear," he joked, remembering her embarrassment earlier that morning.

"Screw 'em if they can't take a joke," Shay quipped as her fingers worked at his belt.  She growled her frustration as she fumbled with the catch.  

"Easy there, Ashling..." he chuckled softly as his hands covered hers and he captured her lips, kissing her deeply and thoroughly.  He released the catch on his belt and she resumed her task of unfastening his jeans while he worked on ridding her of hers.

Sliding his hands inside the waistband of her jeans, he slid them down her hips, removing her panties at the same time.  Moving slowly, deliberately, he brought a hand to her sex as she parted her legs slightly.  Already moist and ready for him, he slid a finger inside her, delighting at her sharp intake of breath.  With his other hand, he pushed her top upward, allowing him to worship her bare breast with his lips and tongue.  

Shay was in heaven of his making.  She closed her eyes and leaned heavily against the tree as Frank took her soaring, coiling her desire until she thought she would collapse from the strength of it.  Her fingers tangled in his hair as he pleasured each mound in turn, teasing the hardened buds until she whimpered her pleasure.  

His kisses were soft and moist as they trailed down her stomach.  She shuddered when she felt his breath fan the triangle of soft hair above her center.  Slowly, ever so slowly, he slid her jeans down the length of her legs, all the while kissing, licking and teasing the inside of her thighs.   She groaned in frustration, her hands trying to guide him to her secret place, but he thwarted her efforts.   

Thankfully she had not worn her boots that morning, only a pair or tennis shoes, which she slipped off easily and stepped out of her jeans.  Gone was his biggest obstacle and he grinned boyishly as he urged her legs further apart while he knelt before her.  Unhurriedly, he resumed his efforts until his lips met her most intimate place.  His tongue danced over her, delving inside, tasting her, delighting in her.  He felt her fingers slip through his hair and dig into the muscles of his shoulders as she ground herself against him.  As his tongue flicked over her trigger again and again, he could hear her whispering, moaning "_Le ciel est dans vous, mon Tigre chéri_" as she shuddered violently within her orgasm.  

As he stood, he lifted her at the waist.  Shay wrapped her legs around him possessively and could feel his hardness through his jeans.  She clutched his shoulders for balance while he shucked his jeans down to his thighs.  "Now, now..." she begged, needing to feel him deep inside.

"Shay, my gift," he murmured against her neck as he entered her slowly, agonizingly slowly.  "My darling, darling Ashling, my vision."  

He moved within her slowly, enjoying the silky feel of her wrapped around his hardness.  He dipped his head and captured a hardened nipple between his lips and laved and suckled as he thrust rhythmically within her until she cried out softly, digging her nails into his shoulders as she climaxed around him.  

Her eyes were wild as she looked upon him.  Her breathing was labored as he continued to love her passionately and her heart beat erratically and intensely.  "Cum, Tiger...cum with me..." she begged as she reached the peak again and heard his throaty groan as he tensed with his release.  

"Dear God," he whispered.

"You said it, Mister," Shay replied and collapsed against him when he set her back on her feet.  

mon cadeau = my gift

mon rêve = my dream

ma vision = my vision

Le ciel est dans vous, mon Tigre chéri = heaven is within you, my darling Tiger.

************

While Frank and Shay are discovering nature...Jake and Frankie have a serious issue to discuss...don't turn that dial!!!


	7. The Capture

************

While Frank and Shay were off taking care of business, Jake and Frankie left the group to go for a walk.  Jake had intentions of pushing her about the doctor's visit that morning.  He'd been concerned when they all turned back yesterday because of her paleness and shortness of breath.  He'd also seen her cringing after each shot of the bow this morning at the targets. She was in pain and not letting anyone know about it.

"Frankie?" he whispered.

"Yes darlin'?" she turned and looked at him.  They were down by the lake and completely alone.  Everyone else could have heard him if she were to make him scream, but she highly doubted anyone would come looking.

"I'm worried about you.  Why won't you tell me what the doctor had to say?"

Frankie blinked.  "Well... he... he said..."  how was she going to tell him without 'telling' him?

"What is it?  Nothing's wrong with your health right?" Jake pressed.  Her stuttering sent off alarm bells in his mind.  For a moment, he had flashes of her being in really bad shape and being too stubborn to say anything.

"Calm down Jake." she said firmly.  "No.  I'm in good health, the doctor said everything was fine."

"Sure he did.  Why wouldn't you let me go with you?  Are you hiding anything from me?"

"Jake! What is this?!"  She stepped back from him and glared.  "LOOK!  I'm fine!  I had heart surgery 7 months ago and it's kind of left me with a very low tolerance for thin air such as we are in right now!  I just need to take things slow and get used to the thin air."

"And the cringing in pain at targets?"

"Was pain, flat and simple.  Look, imagine your chest being cut open, your breastbone broken forcibly, a few of your ribs cracked or broken in the process, your chest being pried apart and held that way for a few hours then stitched back together with something like fishing line.  My muscles hurt, Jake.  When you pull and push those muscles, even with therapy, it hurts.  Please Jake, don't make this out to be bigger than it is."  Her eyes held his for a long moment, begging him to trust her.

Jake sighed and gathered her into his arms.  There were times that Frankie reminded him of a little girl who was lost that it broke his heart.  "I'm sorry Francesca." he whispered.  "I'm just worried.  After all that we've been through, we're finally together and happy.  I keep waiting for something to happen and make it go away."

"It won't Jake.  Because nothing can take away what we have.  You know, last night the girls and I were talking while you guys were burning dinner. I'll tell you face to face what I told the other girls.  The most amazing thing in the world to me is that when I'm with you, I don't give a damn about the rest of the world.  All is right as the rain, the earth moves even with just a touch of your hand or a smile.  I cannot, for any reason, imagine what my life would be like without you in it.  I would give up everything, my most intimate passions just to you and you alone."

Jake's eyes welled up with tears and he hugged her fiercely to him.  He knew she was telling the truth, she'd said almost the same thing when she didn't know he was listening in.  To hear what she'd said made all of the anger he felt about her spilling bedroom secrets vanish.  For the first time, he knew what Frank was feeling last night when he looked at Shay. Jake knew that all-encompassing love and trust that no matter what she did or said that might make him angry, he still loved her and wanted her more than the air he breathed.

"Jake..."

"Si Mi Petarde?" he whispered in her ear.

Frankie grinned and stepped back from him.  "Just what did you tell the guys this morning that got you so red in the face?"

Jake's cheeks instantly turned scarlet again and he stuttered over the words.  "I... they.... well.... you and me..."

Frankie giggled and stepped closer, nuzzling his neck.  "They asked you about how you managed to keep me cumming for you all night long?" she whispered.

"uh... uh huh..." he gulped, his hands coming to her elbows slowly.

"And they asked how you have the strength to do that..." came the next whisper, her breath teasing the soft hairs at the nape of his neck.

"S-s-something like that."

Frankie grinned and slid around behind Jake, her arms sliding around his waist and pulling him tight up against her, crushing his back to her breasts as the tip of her tongue ever-so-slightly teased that secret sweet-spot of Jake's on the back of his neck.  "And they asked you to tell your secrets..."

She was rewarded by Jake's whipping around, bending down and hauling her up over his shoulder.  Despite the minor height difference, Jake carried her easily back to the camp and past the gaping onlookers - Frank and Shay included.

Frank and Shay stopped in mid-step out of the trees to see Frankie's derriere bouncing along over Jake's shoulder and heard her giggling loudly as Jake zipped past them all with a piqued but determined look on his face. Both of them stared wide-eyed as they went by, Frankie waving at them like she was Miss America on parade.

As Jake and Frankie entered their tent, all 8 of the gang came together in one large group across the campsite from the tent.  A loud giggle followed by a moaning sound pushed the group back a few steps.

"Fuck me," Shay whispered with a touch of amusement in her voice.  "I think she's just been captured!"

************

It's time around the campfire...and a kid's game leads to a few crimson cheeks.  Truth or Dare anyone?


	8. Truth or Dare

************

The campfire crackled loudly and the sound of laughter rung through the night air.  There was also a heavy feel to the air that night as the couples sat snuggled together wrapped in light cotton blankets to ward off the evening chill.  The only ones not snuggled together were Katie, who was wrapped up in her own polar fleece blanket, and Cody who was wrapped up in a heavier down jacket with gloves.  Both of them looked on in almost envy at the couples keeping each other warm.  All of them seemed to be smiles from ear to ear and very much in love with each other.

"Truth or Dare Frankie?"

Frankie lifted her head off of Jake's shoulder and looked at Monica.  The woman was grinning devilishly.  They'd all been playing Truth or Dare since the guys cleaned up after dinner.  "Ohhhhh... Dare."

"Kiss Tyler." Monica said as easily as she was giving Frank a report on a suspect.

Frankie felt Jake's arms tighten almost painfully around her under the blanket.  She looked over at Tyler to see him blinking very slowly.  The look in his eyes promised payback in spades for that dare.  "It's OK Jake. It's just a game." she whispered as she leaned forward out of the blanket.

Monica moved to the side and watched with a giggle.  Alex and Shay were staring wide-eyed as Frankie crawled on her hands and knees over the rough ground to right in front of Tyler.

"You don't have to do this Frankie," he said quietly.

"Sure, I know," she answered.  "But, if I kiss you, then I know Jake's bound to nail Monica REAL good."  She giggled as she leaned closer to Tyler.

Across the circle, Jake was turning green.  Frankie actually said it was no big thing!  His wife was kissing someone else's husband on a dare and it was supposed to be no big thing??  On her hands and knees no less!!

Shay chuckled and snuggled into Frank's arms.  As she watched Frankie and Ty's lips meet, she could feel Frank's hand slipping down over her lower belly.  Judging from the look on Alex's face, Christian had ideas similar to Frank's.  Shay murmured softly and snuggled deeper into Frank's embrace as she began to feel the smoldering fire begin to burn in her belly while Frank massaged smooth circles over her lower and lower while watching Frankie and Tyler.  

Frankie giggled and pulled back from Tyler.  It was a very innocent kiss, no tongue and no groaning.  Just a long peck on the lips.  "There, satisfied Monica?" she grinned and crawled back over to Jake on her hands and knees.  He looked fit to be tied.

"You better make it up to Jake." Tyler goaded with a grin.

"Loverboy..." she teased as she crawled.

Shay piped up and said, "How do you call your loverboy?"

"I say 'Oh Loverboy'..."  Jake blinked at his wife as she crawled over his lap.  If he opened the blanket right then, his knees would have brushed against her nipples.

"And if he doesn't answer?" Katie tuned in.

"I say, 'C'mere loverboy!' " Frankie drawled slowly, then ran the tip of her tongue over her lips.  Jake's face paled for a moment, then his eyes darkened and he opened up the blanket slowly.  Frankie could see the growing evidence of his need for her.

"And if he STILL doesn't answer?" Shay rang out.

Frankie sat back a moment and said, "I say baby... baby..." with a whisper, then leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek softly with hers.  Her eyes closed and her lips found his on their own free will with a tender kiss.

"Brava! The girl's a natural!!" Alex exclaimed with a laugh.

Frankie and Jake both began laughing and re-wrapped themselves with the blanket.

"It's your turn Frankie.  Truth or Dare someone." Katie said once the laughter had died down and Frankie was cocooned back in Jake's arms.

"Ohhhh let's see..." she purred with a grin.  Under the blanket Jake had shifted back against the log and opened his legs.  Her backside rested flush and snug against his growing erection.  He also was kneading one breast slowly as Frankie tried to keep her thoughts straight.  "Christian."

"Truth." he said, looking up from where he was nibbling Alex's ear.

"How do you do it?  I mean...I know what it's like to be involved with a Justice Department Agent.  I'm married to one, but I have an advantage, I'm a PI and know how bad it can really get.  So, how do you do it, especially being on the west coast so much?"

Christian was taken aback by the seriousness of the question.  It was not something he expected.  To date, the time the group had spent together was playful at best.  Instinctively his arms tightened around Alex.  "I'll be honest, it's something I try not to dwell on.  I'm well aware of the danger that surrounds her type of work, after all, it's how I met her."  He paused and pressed a kiss to Alex's temple.  "While we're apart, I think only of the times we're together and not of what she may being doing that puts her in danger.  It gets me through our separations."

Alex smiled and relaxed a bit as everyone else smiled.  They all had an idea of how hard it was being a significant other.

"Let's lighten things up after that one." Christian said with a smile. "Alright Jake.  Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Dish it, bro.  What is your favorite time to watch Frankie?"

"Huh?" came the less than eloquent reply.

A few giggles and chuckles came, but Christian smiled.  "Watch Frankie. When she's not looking, you know?  You sometimes sneak a look at her; find yourself watching her when she probably isn't aware of it.  When is it your favorite time to watch her?"

"Oh, that's easy." Jake grinned and kissed his wife's neck.  "In the shower. It happened by accident one day after she'd come to live with me.  I made Frankie move in with me after she came home from the hospital, just to watch over her and make sure she didn't need anything while she recuperated.  I came home early from work and heard the shower running. Quietly I made my way down the hallway and watched her.  I have glass doors in the bathroom and I could see everything.  Until right now, I don't think she ever knew I was watching her.  There was just something so... so..."

"Erotic?" Frank offered.  

Shay groaned and shook her head.  Frank gave her a "what?" look.

"Tempting?" Tyler said.

"Beautiful," Jake finally said.  "Something so beautiful about the way she moved.  I wasn't thinking about how great it'd be to take her to bed right then and there.  She had her hair pinned up on top of her head and little pieces of it were stuck to her neck.  It was just the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen since I can remember."

Frankie felt herself blushing bright crimson at his words.  Underneath the blanket her hands massaged into his thighs firmly.  His words only added more fuel to an ever-burning and insatiable desire for her husband.  She probably would never get enough of him.

Shay gave a triumphant nod.  "Now, that's an answer."  Frank chuckled and nuzzled her neck.  She smiled softly as his hand slid between her thighs while he nibbled her ear.  "It's your turn, Tiger."

"Hmmm? What?" 

"Truth or Dare someone," she replied, turning sideways in his lap.  Slowly she unbuttoned his shirt to slip a hand underneath the fabric to caress his smooth chest.

He sucked in a soft breath when Shay began teasing his nipple.  "Ah...Cody."

Cody looked up sharply.  He had been doing everything he could think of to keep from staring at Katie from across the fire.  "Huh?  Oh..." he shrugged.  "Dare."

"Sit with Katie under her blanket," he deadpanned. 

"Frank," Shay admonished him with a harsh whisper.

Cody glared at Frank and completely missed Katie's move to allow him access to her blanket.  And before another word could be said, the heaven's opened up and released a thunderous boom and a torrential downpour, soaking the campers within seconds.

"Gotta love these storms," Katie shouted as everyone ran for the cover of their tents.

************

Oh dear...the girls are up to something and the boys find out.  They won't be prepared for the consequences their actions cause.  And, Nicky....I just can't help it!  I'm evil and teasing you is soooo much fun!  ~g~  j/k  enjoy....


	9. And so it begins

Author's note from Dreamy:  First. I want to thank everyone for reviewing "Vacation".  Y'all are great and it gives me a happy to know we can bring a chuckle or two into your lives.

Second, I appreciate the honest reviews and subsequently would like to explain myself.  I never meant for this to be anything more than a fun little romp in the park.  Just meant for a laugh and something different and I'm sorry if I didn't made that plain enough from the beginning (although I did state just that in my emails, etc)  As for the sex slowing down the story; I don't feel that way.  These couples, which truly love each other with every fiber of their being, need to express that to one another.  That's just part of life.  It is sprinkled throughout the story, and there are maybe just one or two more scenes.

This was not meant as retaliated for any review...I just feel the need to explain myself and hope that you ALL will continue to read the story to the end.  What is planned for the ultimate retaliation is...in my opinion...a real gut buster and I hope you can make it through to the end.  

A/N from Gypsy:  I'm glad to be getting honest reviews on this story.  But in all fairness, you ask for a plot where none was ever designated short of setting down an honest bit of fluff.  For the longest time Shelley and I have seen each and every member of the team get mired into really heavy subjects ranging from missing children to missing wives, losing loved ones in front of their eyes and a real heavy case load.  We both figured it was time that the team cut loose and have a real vacation where nothing happens short of bonding - both between the agent and their significant others and between the agents themselves.  We both thought that this little bit of fluff would be a welcome break from the 'Sturm und Drang' of what's been posted to date.  I should know, I write a hell of a lot of that myself ~L~  So, when reading this, just sit back, grab a Coke/Sprite/Soda/Beer/Whatever your favorite libation, prop your feet up and put your mind on vacation.

There is no plot at all.  We never had one main one.  Now, the side plots are another matter all on their own.  There are three that I can count - Cody/Katie, which given Cody's basic demeanor will take a while.  Frankie/Jake... which given Frankie's recent medical ailments and Jake's over active Worry Gland will finally get dragged out in about two more chapters... I think, I can't reach my copy at the second I'm writing this. And last but not least, the plot of the Gender War.  Who hasn't had a War of the Sexes?  It's give and take.. or rather, Strike and Retaliation. ~snicker~  The girls have struck the first blow unwittingly.  Now it's a little payback time.  After that... what's the saying?  Ah,yes...

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR!!!

Enjoy!

************

"Oh, come on!" Alex urged.  "They'll be playing cards for hours."

Monica nodded.  "I'm in.  I've never understood what it is with men and poker."

"Hell yeah...I'm there," Shay chimed in.  "Who wants to sit around watching them play cards?"

"Sounds good to me.  I love the water," Frankie piped up.

"No way, no how," Katie stated firmly.  She enjoyed spending time with these women, but enough was enough.

Alex shrugged.  "Look, you don't have to do it...just come along."

"Fine, but I won't do it," she insisted.

Shay and Frankie walked over to the picnic table where the men sat playing poker and approached their husbands from behind.  Shay placed her hands on Frank's shoulders as she leaned down and kissed his cheek.  "We wimmins are going for a walk.  We won't be long," she said, kissing him goodbye.

"Not too far," Jake insisted, before kissing Frankie.  He was still a bit worried about her overdoing things.  The evening had come and darkness surrounded them, and there were wild animals that roamed the Canyon.  "Take a lantern and be careful."

"Yes, Daddy," Frankie mocked.

Together the five women strolled leisurely to the lake.  Once there, they found a secluded spot and all but Katie began stripping down to their birthday suits, carefully spreading their clothing over the nearby bushes.  They waded calf-deep into the water before calling out to her.  "Come on, Katie....'

Katie watched on incredulously as the four women waded further into the lake before diving in.  

"You don't have to get completely undressed, Katie," Shay yelled to the young Ranger.

Katie laughed and shrugged.  "What the hell?" she asked before stripping down to nothing and charging into the water to join them before she could change her mind.

--

"They're skinny-dipping," Christian confessed after fifteen minutes or so as he threw two cards onto the center of the table.  "Gimme two."

"WHAT?!" the others exclaimed in unison.

"I'm tellin' ya, Alex told me earlier...Monica, Frankie and Shay had agreed readily.  Apparently she convinced Katie, because she went with them."  He nudged Cody who was the current dealer.  "I said two cards."

Cody stared in disbelief as he blindly doled out the cards to Christian.  He was almost awestruck at the thought of watching her bathe in the lake...nude.  Until he thought better of it.  If she discovered him, she would never warm up to him.  He sighed longingly as he tossed in his hand and sauntered off to do some thinking.

"A little payback, gentlemen?" Christian temped.

"What do you have in mind," Ty asked curiously.  

"Nothing too dangerous," he replied.  "Just imagine their surprise when they come out of the water to find their clothing missing."

Frank fought hard to suppress a grin and shook his head.  "No way. If you get Shay's Irish up...she's a hellcat.  She's already threatened to remove my ...ahem...twice since we've been here."

"Please," Christian moaned.  "You've got her gaggin' for it, she's certainly not going to get rid of what she likes most about you."

That brought a few chuckles from the others until Jake added, "You really don't know Shay...and...oh Lord...I just can't imagine the torturous things Frankie would think of."

"Man, are you guys whipped," Christian goaded.  

"I'm in," Ty agreed.  "It's all in good fun.  Besides, after what Shay pulled at the archery competition and the rope course, I would think you'd be up for a little payback, Donovan."

Frank smiled thinly, not because he was angry, but because he felt himself agreeing with them.  Earlier, during the rope obstacle course, Shay dropped trow and showed him her ass causing him to slip during the netted rope climb and his legs tangled in the ropes.  Oh yeah, it was all oh-so amusing to the others, especially Frankie.  Frank thought she might pee herself right then and there, she was laughing to hard.  Of course, the little slip cost him time and he turned out to be the only one of the agents that didn't make the required time in traversing the course.   

So, he found himself wanting a little payback.  Besides, it was just all in fun.  She would understand...and laugh about it.  Right?  "Right."

"Jake?" Christian asked.  He was the one holdout.  

"Against my better judgment...but, what the hell," he finally said.  

--

Frankie chuckled and floated on her back in the cool waters of the lake. "My tattoos." she said.  "Markings of a misspent youth actually.  Nothing fancy."

"I've heard that people often have stories behind their tattoos." Katie said timidly while treading water.  "I mean..."

Frankie lifted her head and shifted, smiling brightly at the girl.  "Yeah, you could say that.  They're not gang symbols or anything.  But mine have their own stories."

"Well?!" Alex grinned.  "Dish it girlfriend!"

They all laughed and paddled closer together.  They'd all found a sandbar to balance on as Frankie began telling her tale.

"The big one, the winged heart... I got when I was 21.  I had come off of a long string of rather unpleasant relationships with guys who would have preferred to conquer me than understand me."  She shrugged, looking down into the clear blue water.  Her voice took on a softer tone as she continued.  "The last one, Aston, had me so far beaten down that I believed I didn't deserve to live.  It took one of my closest friends taking me out and getting me stone dead drunk before I realized that I wasn't what he made me believe I was.  So, while drunk..." she grinned and looked up. "While drunk, I got the tat.  The Unconquered Heart - You can hit me, you can put me down, and you can ignore me... hell you can even kill me." Frankie winked at Shay.  "But you can never conquer me."

"Wow... what a story Frankie..." Monica whispered.  "I never knew that all of this had happened to you."

"That's because it's ancient history Monica." Frankie laughed.  "I've gotten over it you guys, no sense in dwelling on it."

The men crept silently toward the shore.  The sky was cloudy, giving extra cover under the darkness.  Their only enemy was the moon that occasionally peeked between the clouds that passed it by.  

Crouching behind the bushes that held their clothes, Frank paused to glance out into the lake.  The five women were huddled together.  They were discussing something, the sound of their voices muffled by the sound of the water lapping onto the lakeshore.  

He found Shay easily; she faced the shore as she treaded water, listening to what the others had to say.  He glanced to either side of him and saw the other three were also watching the women.  He was never so glad for the moon to be hidden, his possessive nature taking over.  He did not like the thought of anyone seeing what was meant for only him.  

Of course, it was just at that moment Shay decided to turn and dive into the water, showing her derriere to the world.  

"Nice," Christian whispered as he reached over the bushes and grabbed a handful of clothing.  

"Uh-huh...all bright and shiny in the waning moonlight," Ty smirked as he pulled a few articles of clothing from the bush in front of him.

Jake shook his head and said nothing.  As his hand closed in around a shirt and a pair of shorts he knew this was the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life.  Frankie was going to kill him.  Literally.

"Shut the hell up," Frank growled in a low whisper.  "One more word..." he threatened, pulling the remainder of the clothing from the bush.  "Now, get your asses back to camp."  Damn it all, he regretted it before it was done.   Shay would never let him touch her after this...and watching her just for this brief moment, her skin wet and slick, he felt the blood rushing to and pooling in his groin.  It was going to be a LONG night.

"Man, this water feels good," Shay sputtered as she resurfaced.

"Yeah, it does," Monica agreed diving under to resurface just as Alex asked Frankie...

"And the circle around your navel?" Alex asked.

"Oh that.  I don't know what I was thinking."

"What do you mean?" Katie said.

"Well, on a specific job I took, this one informant sent me to a palmistry and tarot card place.  The so-called psychic kept repeating over and over that there were three threads of my life and all were woven together. Until the day I died, the threads would never be tied into a knot.  The knot symbolized the death.  She drew out a picture, three ribbons woven together with a definite beginning, but left open at the end, the ends of the ribbons left unwoven - a story yet to be finished she said.  And that's the story of this one."  Frankie said as she put her hand over her stomach. "Three ribbons, woven from a beginning, intertwined together with an unfinished ending.  Here, forever, the spiral never ends."

"Wow." Alex whispered.

"Deep." Monica sighed.

"Interesting." Katie smiled.

"Fascinating." Shay breathed.

"Oh get over it you guys!" Frankie laughed and swiped her hand through the water, splashing everyone near her.  They all retaliated and an all out splash war ensued for about five minutes.  Shay finally called for peace when she noticed Frankie was paler and her breath was strained a bit.

"You OK there girlfriend?"

"Huh?  Oh, yeah... I'm fine." Frankie offered up a tired smile.  "I think I might sleep a week or two when we get back.  I feel like I did when first going through physical therapy."

"Physical Therapy?  I can't imagine someone like you needing therapy."  As soon as she said it and the grey eyes of Mrs. Shaw came to her, Katie felt like sinking under the water.

Frankie chuckled and inched back into the group.  "Remember me telling the other night about how I met Jake and finally hooked up with him?" she paused and smiled reassuringly at Shay.  "I got shot doing something completely out of character and not like me at all.  But, I came out the better in the end for it."  Her smile turned more inward this time as Katie smiled back at her.  Frankie's eyes took on a softer tone and she sighed a soft little self-satisfied sigh before she kept going.  "I was in a coma for a few weeks while my body decided it was ready to start healing from the surgery.  The doctor put me into therapy to get my strength back in my upper chest, arms and back."

"OH!  I had no idea!!  If I had, I wouldn't have -" Katie spluttered.

"Katie."

"Yes Mrs. Shaw?"

Frankie laughed at the pink-cheeked woman.  "First off, it's Frankie, please.  Second, shut up.  I went to the doctor's before I got on the plane and he gave me a thorough checking.  If he hadn't thought I would be OK to do this, he would have given me restrictions beyond 'listen to your own body'."  She smiled reassuringly at the Park Ranger.

"Hey girls.  I'm gonna head back... I'm staring to look like a prune." Alex cut in.

"Last one back, besides Frankie, gets to kiss Cody!" Monica shouted as she took off swimming furiously for the lakeshore.  Everyone 'eeuw'd and then took off swimming like mad fish for the lakeshore.

Except for Frankie and Shay.  "Whoa there girlfriend.  We got to talk." Shay said as she grabbed hold of the other woman's arm.

"Huh?  What?"

"You got something else you want to tell me?"  Shay's eyes twinkled a bit mischievously.

"Uhhh... "

"Are you.." she inched closer.  "You know... pregnant?"

Frankie blinked.  "Is it that obvious?"

"I KNEW IT!"

"SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Frankie hissed and clamped her hand over Shay's mouth.  "Hush up!!  I want to keep it quiet for now."

"But... does Jake know?"

Over on the edge of the lake, the other three women were making some kind of noises and searching the rocks and trees.  Something was wrong.  Frankie flicked a look over before turning back to Shay.

"No, he doesn't.  He won't until I'm ready to tell him."

At Shay's confused expression, Frankie sighed.  "I'm still trying to sort this out.  Me, a mother.  I want it to be a surprise for Jake.  I just found out the morning we got here, Shay."

"So that was the doctor's visit then?"

"No.  I scheduled an appointment last week for a complete physical; the intent was to see if the doctor would OK me for this trip.  Since blood tests are part of the physical..."

"You had no idea at all?!"

"None.  I'm about a month along."

"Wait... you weren't' even suspicious when you showed up a week or so late?"

"Nope.  The doctor told me that the meds I'm on would wreak havoc with my cycle.  I haven't been regular since I got out of the hospital."

"Oh shit Frankie.  You got to tell him.  He's already worried over you."

"I will.  Promise me Shay, that you won't tell him?"

A shout of outrage echoed across the water to them.  Alex was glaring up the path to the camp and Monica was fuming.  Poor Katie looked like she was blushing from head to toe.

"What..."

"PROMISE ME!"

"I promise...and Frankie?..."

"Yeah, Shay?"

"You'll make a wonderful mother," Shay reassured her with a bright smile.  "Now what's going on with them?"  Both she and Frankie swam over quickly and came out of the water.

"What's -"

"Those sneaky bastards!!" Alex hissed.

"What -?" Frankie echoed Shay this time.

"Our clothing.  It's gone!  They took them, I know it!!" Monica sputtered.

"Well, d'uh Monica," Shay replied.  "It's not like Smokey the Bear has any use for them."

"So..." Frankie looked around.  "Well, hey...how nice of them to leave us our shoes."

"We can't walk back naked!" Katie wailed.

"Oh yeah we can." Shay beamed.  

Frankie grinned evilly and looked at Monica and Alex.  "Ladies..."

"Ohhh... you're crazy Shay, you too Frankie..."

"Yeah, but it'll be worth it to see the guys falling over themselves.  This means war Girls.  We fight nasty."

"Uh... ladies.." Katie whispered.  "I.. "

"You.. will walk in the middle of the group so you can't be seen all that well." Frankie offered.  "You were looking for a bit of revenge against Cody for his joke about the guns the other day?  This is it.  Make him drool girlfriend!"

---

Uh-oh...what forms of retaliation will this little prank cause?  


	10. A Naked Scheme Begins to Unfold

************

All eyes were fixed on their poker hands in mock concentration.  Frank tossed in one card and asked Cody for the replacement.  When no response came he looked up to see Cody staring behind him, jaw hung open.   He notice the three other men also glance at Cody then all eyes turned to see what he was staring at.

Frank gulped audibly at seeing Monica, Shay, Frankie and Alex with a timid Katie shielded behind them, walking into camp arm in arm, completely naked and absolutely no attempt to cover themselves.

Never had Cody seen four men move so quickly in all his life.  By the time the women had reached the first tent, which was Katie's, they descended upon their respective women.  Cody watched as the women halted in front of Katie's tent long enough for her to duck inside.  Somehow, they had managed to protect her from being exposed to view.  Not that he wanted to see her in that circumstance, he wanted more, much more from Katie than to glimpse her naked body.

He watched with amusement as Frank and Jake stripped off their shirts as they made their way to their wives, who were dripping wet, and their lips were turning blue from the chill in the air.  Alex and Monica looked equally cold.  As Frank and Jake wrapped their shirts around their wives and hurried them off to their respective tents, Christian and Ty both picked up their women and headed for their tents.  Cody just shook his head.  He had had nothing to do with the stupid prank, but somehow, somehow he knew it was going to bite him in the ass.

--

Frank pushed Shay gently into their tent and stood staring at her for several moments, until her chattering teeth brought him out of his stupor.  "Everyone saw..." he stammered.

Shay clutched Frank's shirt around her soaking in the warmth it held from his body.  "What did you expect?  You took all our clothing," she reasoned.  

He lowered his eyes for a moment before the he grinned sheepishly.  "It was a stupid thing to do."

"Oh, don't I know it," she replied and moved away indicating her irritation clearly as she tossed his shirt in his face.  

He tossed his shirt aside and grabbed her hand as it closed around a t-shirt.  "I'm sorry, Ashling."

She turned to face him.  "And I'm cold, Franklin Paul Donovan.  So, unless you plan on doing something about that, I suggest you remove your hand so that I might put something on." 

He pulled her down onto their bedding and sat her firmly on his lap and began to massage her arms, legs and back.  "Better?"

"A little," she whispered reaching over to turn off the lantern that lit their tent.  She was angry with him, but his touch never failed to arouse her desire for him.  She kicked off her shoes and reached out to untie Frank's boots.  After his boots were set aside, she turned in his embrace and firmly urged him to lie back on the bedding.  Unbuckling his jeans, she helped him remove the remainder of his clothing until he was as naked as she.  

"Mon cadeau," he moaned sensually as she worked soft hands up the length of his legs.  For the longest moment he was sure she was going to throw him naked out into the cold air.

Bracing herself, a hand to each side of his head, she pressed soft kisses to his forehead, cheeks and jaw before her mouth covered his hungrily.  She moaned softly as his hands trailed up and down her spine, leaving tendrils of desire spiraling through each nerve ending.  

Slowly, she moved downward, her lips touching, caressing every inch of his chest and abdomen until she reached the prize she sought.  When she gently wrapped her fingers around his engorged shaft, he groaned throatily and tangled his fingers in her damp hair.  Lifting himself up on his elbows, he held her hair back from her face to watch her as she pleasured him with her lips, tongue and mouth.  She turned and smiled silkily at him, knowing how much of a turn on it was for him, not only the feel of him inside her mouth, but to watch as she went down on him.   His eyes closed to slits when her lips encircled the smooth tip, and as she took him fully into her mouth, he had to bite down on his bottom lip from calling out her name.  He dropped back onto the bedding, his fingers firmly tangled in her honey colored hair as they guided her delicious feeling mouth along his manhood faster and faster until he thought the world would explode inside him.  

Sensing he was close to the edge, his breathing labored, his moans intense, Shay moved to straddle him and eased herself down slowly until he was fully sheathed within her.  She remained motionless for a moment, gazing into the dark depths of his eyes, losing herself completely within his love.  She had long since gotten past the cold chill her body had from the night air and was completely lost to the rapture she felt from just the slightest touch of his skin.  She closed her eyes and began the rhythmic gyrations that would bring them to the place in the universe that made them complete.  

He grasped her by the hips as she moved over him.  It took all his resolve not to lose himself within her and to hold out until she reached climax.  He never got enough of her, it did not matter how often they made love.  No one had ever affected him the way this woman, his wife, did.  She had merely to look at him and he was lost in a swirling blue haze of desire.   When she lifted his hands from her hips to cover her breasts, he reminded himself that he was put on this earth for her and her fulfillment was more important than his release.  

Flicking his thumbs gently over her hardened nipples, he urged her, "take us there, baby.  Ashling...ride me over the edge..."

Shay whimpered as she felt herself falling into the vortex that swirled around them.  She ached to scream as the exquisite tremors overtook her and she shuddered violently with her climax.  

As he felt her near the edge, Frank once again grabbed her by the hips and bucked wildly underneath her wanting and meeting his release in time with his wife.  When she collapsed onto his chest, he embraced her lovingly, whispering endearments as he stroked the soft skin of her back.  

When sanity returned she lifted up to smile playfully at him.  "Tiger, you do realize that all our friends saw me naked."

His response was a ferocious growl as he rolled over and buried his face in a pillow.

"Yes...and as much fun as this little romp was...get out." Her voice was stern and left little room for reproach. 

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not," she assured.  "Go on...put something on and get out.  You sleep with Jake tonight."

"Now, Shay..."

Shay pulled the t-shirt over her head and glared at him.  "Don't you 'now Shay' me.  Go," she demanded, pointing toward the tent flap for good measure.  

Frank solemnly slid into his jeans, a sweatshirt and pulled on his boots.  "Goodnight," he whispered as he exited and Shay felt suddenly empty without him.  

************

Frankie was actually highly amused by what the guys had done earlier that night.  However, she wasn't about to let Jake know that.  On the way back, she and Shay had put their heads together and come up with kicking the guys out of their tents.  Or rather, at the very least, kicking Frank out and Frankie coming to spend the night with Shay.  Let Jake and Frank sleep together and stew over their guilt. It wasn't like the tents weren't huge enough to sleep 7 people or anything.  So, as she and Shay, along with Monica and Alex plotted out their revenge for the Naked Hike, they forced themselves to remember nothing detrimental to the guys' health, nothing detrimental to their careers, and certainly something that would be equally embarrassing to them all.

"OK - give me a minute and I'll see what I can do."  Frankie winked and slipped out of the tent.  She tiptoed over to Cody's tent and silently pushed past the tent flaps.  There, sprawled out on his back was the Code-Man, the one in charge of anything that plugs in.  And he was sleeping so soundly he was oblivious.  Quietly she packed up a laptop, some earpieces, an audio transmitter, and a micro-camera with an auto remote.  However, just as she turned to go, her knee popped and Cody sat up with a start.

"Frankie!"

Instantly her hand covered his mouth and she shoved him back down onto his bed.  Cody's eyes blinked up at her in a daze.  "You're lucky Cody," she whispered.  "You get to be spared the vengeance due the guys for their stunt earlier.  Now, you are going to keep quiet about my taking this and you are going to pretend that you know nothing.  If you don't, I'll make sure Frank knows about certain things you'd prefer him not to, get my point?"

Cody's eyes widened and he nodded slowly under her hand.  Oh shit... for once he was glad he was the odd man out.  If Frankie was taking equipment and threatening blackmail on him for his silence, then the guys were in for it big-time.  He watched her as she removed her hand slowly and inched back out of the tent.  Under his blanket he shivered and prayed that this Men versus Women War would end and soon.

Frankie tiptoed over to the set up cold shower stalls.  Shay and Monica soon joined her.  Alex had come over, but then took the laptop and scoped out a perfect hiding place.  She also had a pair of long range Bushnell binoculars in hand as she tiptoed out of the camp.  There was only one shower stall and the guys would have to take turns washing up.  Vengeance would be sweet...

"What are you guys doing?"

All three of the remaining women jumped and gave a startled cry.  None of them had heard Katie sneak up behind them.

"Nothing Katie.  Go on back to bed." Frankie whispered.

"Yeah right!  You gals are up to something and I want to know what it is or I wake up your husbands!"

Monica, Shay and Frankie looked at one another, and then sighed.  "A retaliation for their stunt earlier tonight.  It's best if you go on back to bed.  They'll know once they figure out what happened, that you had nothing to do with it.  Trust me on this."

"Oh no you don't Shay!  I had to walk naked back to camp the same as you all did, I want in on it and make that little geek-boy suffer!"

"Lower your voice Katie!" Monica whispered.  "And no, you don't.  Ty told me that he didn't take part.  He knew about it, but walked away.  You've got no reason to get back at the other guys.  Besides, there's nothing you can do to help."

Katie pouted and looked like she'd just lost her best friend.  She had every bit as much right for revenge as the others did.  She DID have to walk naked back into camp, whether Cody took part in her clothing ransom or not!

Frankie saw the hurt look and sighed.  "Katie... you can help. While Shay and I are doing the screen captures, I'll need you to cover for us.  Alex and Monica will help you, but you've got to keep the guys from noticing that she and I are missing."

"How long will I have to lie?"

"You won't be lying, Katie.  You'll be covering.  There's a small difference.  You're not giving false information, so much as you're just kind of not telling them the truth.  Besides, you can't lie about something you don't know."

"But, that's lying.  I will know where you are."

"No, you won't.  Because only I know where the hiding spot is.  Frankie and Shay are right, you don't need to lie, just stall them.  Monica and I will be there to help." Alex winked and took the naive woman back to her tent.  When she returned, she winked again and said, "OK, Katie's up to it.  The laptop is concealed and the receiver is in place.  Thank God that I paid attention to Cody's lecture about how to set up surveillance equipment once.  How's it going here?"

"Transmitter is in place, remote micro cam is in place.  We'll be able to see and hear everything, right down to any hair on their butts." Shay quipped.

"Eeeuw.  Now THAT is an image I wanted to sleep on." Frankie wrinkled up her nose and positioned the camera to face into the shower stall.

--

Oh dear....just what are those wimmins up to now?  


	11. A Prank and A Plea

--

Bright and early the sunrise hit the camp.  All was silent save for the soft chirping of the birds.  Frank was the first to wake up and he poked his head out of the tent he'd shared with Jake that night.  Other than waking up cold and alone, relatively, he accepted his punishment for the stunt they'd all pulled.  Before he went home, he was going to have to give Christian some payback for roping him into this.  He should have followed his first instinct and refused.

"Hey... watch it!" came the muffled reply from behind him.  For whatever reason, Jake had slept across the entry to the tent.  Frank had to step over him to get out.

"Sorry Jake.  I'm going down and take a shower.  Hopefully Shay and Frankie will be awake by then and we can explain things to them."

"Yeah, right.  With what we did I highly doubt there would be any explanations that they'll accept.  I think I heard Frankie say something about not wanting my head on a silver platter... but abject public humiliation would suffice." Jake growled.  Without his Firecracker there by his side, he slept not one little bit and was in a cranky mood.  If Frankie didn't let him make it up to her, he was going to have a rough day.

Frank chuckled as he wandered down to the shower stall and cold-water tank.  Without ceremony, he stripped naked and slid into the shower.  He at once knew what Katie referred to about not taking long.  The water was ice cold and in tandem with the morning air, within minutes he was chilled to the bone - chilled enough that his teeth rattled and chattered.

He never even noticed the small glint of the camera as it whirred back and forth.

Far removed from the camp and hidden in a secluded spot of bushes, Frankie and Shay were trying their damnedest not to bust out laughing.  They could hear his teeth chattering in the cold and the laptop was firing off some excellent quality screen caps.

"Oh my gawd!" Shay breathed out between giggles.  I can't believe this.  THIS one I get framed and put on my bedside table!"  She pealed down into laughter again, resting her head on the grassy ground.

"Will you be quiet?!" Frankie laughed.  She had the binoculars pressed to her eyes and was continually watching the camp for activity.  "OK.  Katie's up and about; damn she looks nervous.  Maybe I was too quick to include her in this."

"You didn't have much choice.  It was either include her or she goes to the boyz and clues them in." Shay's eyes were glued to the screen in front of her as it spit out image after image of Frank's posterior.  "Damn that man's got an ass on him." she breathed slowly.

"Buck up Shay Donovan.  No ogling the enemy, right?  Heads up, here comes Ty. Aaaand Monica's right behind him.  Looks like she's going to talk to him while he showers."

Shay's fingers flicked over the keys, saving the choicest caps to the hard drive for uploading later.  She'd also have to get some email addresses for everyone else, but as she accessed the remote satellite uplink, her face took on a devilish gleam.

"Make me walk half a mile in the nude, wet and freezing to death, will you?  Oh yeah bucko, payback's gonna be hell..."

--

After the guys had finished showering, Frankie and Shay carefully made their way back into the camp.  Frankie snuck around and slid the laptop into her and Jake's tent, making sure to hide it and well from Jake's curious eyes.  Both her and Shay were met with wide-eyed stares of curiosity as they both joined everyone at the fire circle.

"Good Morning!" they both chirped as they sat down together - AWAY from their husbands - and tucked into breakfast.

"I think it's time we hit the lake today for some practice on kayaking.  I wanted to get you all used to the equipment where it's safe.

Shay looked up at Katie when she mentioned the kayaking.  She had wanted to speak to Frank about that and waited until the group had finished breakfast.  

While the men busied themselves picking up the campsite after breakfast, Shay pulled Frank into their tent.

"Look, Shay," he growled in exasperation, "I didn't sleep well last night and I'm not in the mood for any games."

"Look yourself, BigGuy.  This is serious and I need your word that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone, especially Jake."

Frank looked intently into her eyes and nodded.  "This better not be a prank, Donovan."

"Honest, Frank," she said, holding up her right hand.  "It's Frankie.  I don't want her to participate in the kayaking."  She closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his waist.

"Why, baby?  Is something wrong?"  

She sighed loudly and rested her head against his chest.  "Frankie's pregnant."

"Well, that's wonderful news," he responded and hugged her softly.  

"I agree!"  

She looked up quickly and he saw the fear and uncertainty in her eyes.  "Is it because of Ariel?"  She had come close to losing their daughter early in her pregnancy and apparently feared the same fate would befall Frankie.

Shay finally spoke after a few moments.  "Tiger, she's only a month along and she's still recovering from the surgery she had to go through.  Baby, I just don't want anything to happen to her."  

Frank heard her voice catch in her throat and knew she was on the verge of tears.  He pulled her close and gently stroked her hair.  "Shhh...we'll talk to Frankie and convince her to sit this out.  It'll be all right..."

"But you can't tell Jake, you have to promise me," she insisted stretching up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Why hasn't she told him yet?  Jake will be thrilled to know he's going to have a child."

"Tiger, that's Frankie's business and don't you go giving her a hard time about it either," Shay insisted.

"Yes, Mrs. Donovan.  You have my word on both counts," Frank promised and with his hand at the small of her back, ushered her out of the tent.

From across the campground, Frankie spotted Shay and Frank leave their tent and frowned.  Shay looked terribly upset and she wondered what Frank had said to upset his wife.  She tossed down the small armful of wood she had gathered and approached them.

"You okay, Donovan?" she asked looking at Shay, making it plain which Donovan she was speaking to.

"I...yes, why do you ask?" she replied with a slight smile.  

"You look like you're about to lose it, girlfriend."

"She's worried about you, Frankie," Frank supplied.

"Whatever for?  I'm fine.  I've told you several times the doctor has given me a clean bill of health."

"Francesca....Shay told me about the baby."

"Shay!  You promised me!" Frankie hissed.  Her brow creased into an angry pucker.

"Whoa there, Frankie.  Before you get your thong in a twist, I'll keep my mouth shut.  No one will tell Jake, I swear.  But with the problems you've had with the altitude and the pain you experienced with the archery...well, Shay...and I think it would be best if you sit out the kayaking."  Frank took a breath and waited for Frankie to either see their position with calm calculated reasoning or haul off and beat the crap out of them.

"I have had some problems, but they're to be expected," Frankie admitted.

"And further problems could result in..." Shay trailed off and shook her head.  She was too close to the problem; too close to tears.  She squeezed Frank's hand and with eyes that pleaded Frankie to do as they asked, she walked away to try to compose herself before anyone noticed the trio and the seriousness of their conversation.

However, on the other side of the camp from where he'd been encouraging Cody, Jake did look up and see the trio... along with their unpleasant expressions.  'What the hell...' he thought.  He'd been about to go over when he saw Shay depart from the gathering in near tears.  Whatever it was, it centered around Frankie.

"What the hell was that all about?" Frankie demanded softly.

"Shay almost lost Ariel early in her pregnancy.  She's worried with as much strain as your body has been under lately that you're taking too big of a risk with the baby.  She only wants what's best for you."  

"I...I didn't know," Frankie whispered and glanced over at Shay.  Making eye contact, Frankie read the fear and concern in her eyes.  "Okay, Frank.  I'll back off.  I'm not sure yet how to feel about a baby and being a mother...but I won't take any unnecessary chances."

"Thank you, Frankie."  He smiled softly and nodded to Shay.  He could see the relief wash over her face.  

***********

Ah...a little peek into what the ladies ultimately have planned for revenge.  Have you guessed their intensions?  Stay tuned to see how the group encourages Cody to go after what he wants...


	12. A little This and That

***********

Nudging Frankie gently with her elbow, Shay whispered, "Look." 

Frankie looked in the direction Shay indicated to see Frank and Jake talking to Cody not far from where the two of them sat at the picnic table.  They were talking softly, but it was easy to tell they were urging Cody to make a move on Katie.  Their eyes wandered in Katie's direction several times while they patted Cody on the back in some manner of reassurance.

Shay jerked her head, motioning for Frankie to come with her.  As they neared they heard Jake say, "Go on Cody...just walk right up and lay one down."

Frank nodded.  "What have you got to lose, Cody?"

"More than you can imagine, Franklin Paul Donovan," Shay replied before Cody had a chance to answer.  Shay shook her head and gave Frank a soft push before draping an arm around Cody's shoulder.  "Let me let you in on a secret on how to treat a woman right," she said softly.

Frankie grinned.  "Ah...the gospel according to Shania."  She stood to Cody's other side and also put an arm around his shoulder.  "If you're lookin' for a place in her heart, it ain't gonna happen overnight."

Shay moved her arm away to stand in front of him and lightly tapped his chest with her forefinger.  "First, you gotta learn how to listen, to understand her deepest thoughts."  Frank slid in behind her and pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her, grinning like a fool.

Frankie nodded.  "She needs to know you can be friends, before she'll give you all she's got." She winked at Jake as he slid an arm around her waist.

Cody's face reflected his mistrust of the two women who had been known to give him more grief in one hour than most people gave him in a lifetime.  "Come on, guys.  Give me a break."

Shay placed her hands over Frank's, turned her head to kiss his cheek and said, "A little physical attraction...romantic, old-fashioned charm..."

"And a lot of love and tenderness," Frankie added, tracing the line of Jake's jaw with her finger tip, "is gonna get you into her arms."

"If you wanna get to know her," Shay said, placing her hand on Cody's shoulder.

"Really get inside her mind," Frankie came back.

"If you wanna move in closer..." Shay tapped his chin.

"Take it slow...yeah...take your time..." Frankie said as she ruffled his hair.

Shay smiled.  "You must start from the heart and then...If you wanna touch her..."

Frankie nodded.  "Really wanna touch her..."

The two women looked at each other, then back at Cody.  "If you wanna touch her, ask!"

************

Frank gave Katie the go-ahead to proceed with the kayak lessons without Jake and Frankie.  Since they were using tandem kayaks and Frankie would not be participating, Jake would also have to sit out.  However, Jake wasn't comfortable with the sudden pull out of Frankie.  She'd chattered incessantly since she'd first gotten the itinerary about kayaking.  It was something she'd never done before and she had been looking forward to it for weeks now.  

The group listened intently as she explained the use of the wet-suits, life jackets, helmets, etc. they would be wearing while they were traversing the white water of the Gunnison River.  Because the practice would be held in the quiet waters of the lake, she asked only that they wear the life jackets.  

Cody sat nervously behind Katie as she demonstrated the proper way to paddle the kayak.  When she thought everyone was comfortable with the activity, she suggested they paddle out to the buoy that was tethered about a half mile out and then return.  

Frankie and Jake made their way to the lakeshore as they group headed toward the buoy.  Jake mentioned in passing that each of the women sat at the front of the kayak and wondered if there was a reason.  Frankie had to hide a smile from him for fear she would give away Katie's plan.

"Are you ever going to tell me what that little pow-wow was with Frank and Shay this morning?"

"Nope."

"Frankie, I know something's up.  You've been looking forward to the kayaking for weeks now."

"I just felt it might be better if I don't put anymore strain on my chest."

"So your health is affecting you?" Jake took hold of her arm and turned her gently to look at him.  "What's going on Francesca?"

"Nothing Jake, just leave it alone!"  She pulled her arm from his grasp and turned around as Katie and Cody rounded the buoy and waited until each of the other kayaks had made their way around and headed back to shore before she put two fingers to her mouth and let loose with a shrill whistle.

Upon hearing the whistle, each woman sans Katie, dropped their paddle to their laps, grabbed the sides of their kayaks and rocked them violently sending Frank, Christian and Tyler into the cold lake water.  

As the men sputtered to the surface, they could hear the women laughing and Shay yelling out, "Payback's a bitch, Tiger!"

Frankie could not help but laugh as the men cursed up a blue streak and started their half-mile swim back to the lakeshore.  Jake was laughing so hard, he did not notice as Frankie spin around next to him and gave him a shove.  He landed with a loud "sploosh" in the cold water.  "What the hell?" he yelled when he surfaced.

"Did you really think you would get away with that little skinny-dipping prank?" She yelled back through her laughter.  

The women beached their kayaks and made a mad dash back to the campground.  

***********

When Jake got back from the lake with the other guys, he'd found Frankie looking rather pale and green near the porta-potties.  Shay pushed him back to change clothing and turned back to Frankie.  This, in addition to everything else that had happened during their vacation, just set off alarm bells in his mind.  It was about time that he got the bloody truth out of her.  Of course, when he marched up and brushed Shay aside, Frankie's temper got the better of her.  When Jake rather unceremoniously asked her what the hell was going on with her health, it was another declaration of war.  Ty, Christian, Monica, Alex, Cody, Katie, Frank and Shay all gathered together out of the way but well within hearing of the couple.

"I'm not going to ask you again Francesca Marie Shaw.  Just WHAT did the doctor have to tell you.  I know something is up and you're hiding something."

Frankie looked at Jake.  She just stared at him hard for a moment.  She knew deep down that he was concerned for her, worried over her health.  But damn it, she got the OK from her doctor the morning they all left.  Even Dr. Williamette said that everything was fine for her to go to Colorado on the weeklong hike - as long as she listened to her own body and stayed away from activities that might jar her body.

Jake looked back at Frankie.  Why wasn't she telling him what the doctor had said?  He knew she'd been, she herself had insisted on visiting the doctor to run the trip by him.  And she was here, so apparently the doc had said OK.  But there was the paleness, the shortness of breath.  Shay said it was the thinner air and higher altitude.  Frankie said the same thing. Frank said the same thing.  But why didn't Frankie tell him exactly what the doctor had said?  Instead she was keeping it quiet, brushing his concern off.

"Well?" he pressed.

"It's a deep hole in the ground you get water from." Frankie snapped back in front of every one in the group.  "It's also been known to house a few dead bodies - which is what might happen to you if you don't stop pushing me about the fucking doctor's visit!!" she hissed.  She turned on her heel and stalked off into the trees.

Jake blinked, his mouth falling open.  What'd he do this time?

"Real smooth Jake." Shay said as she and Frank glided up next to him.  "Why don't you go after her, apologize for pushing her.  You know Frankie..."

"Yeah, I do.  She's keeping something from me."  Jake's voice was dejected. The last time Frankie and he got into a fight like that down in Florida. That fight ended when she got shot in the back the next day.

Frank and Shay exchanged meaningful, knowing glances.  She hadn't told him yet...  "Jake."

"Yeah, Frank?"

"You know her about as well as I do, probably more.  But if she says that the doctor told her everything was OK and told her to listen to her body and go from there on these activities, then that's what he said... right?"

"Right.  But, she wouldn't let me go with her.  For every other visit, she let me go with her.  This time she kept it a secret and met me at the airport.  There's something wrong, I know it."

"Shay's right.  Go after her and find her, talk to her.  Apologize for pushing and let her know that you're here to listen when she's ready to tell you whatever her secret is."

Jake looked at Frank and Shay, then nodded and turned to follow his wife.

About 30 yards ahead, Frankie had stopped to catch her breath again and leaned up against a tree.  She leaned forward, her hands braced on her knees as she gasped for a few breaths.  "Real cute Francesca Marie." she muttered, scolding herself.  "Not the way a mother should act, eh?"  She sighed and straightened up, putting her hands on her lower belly just below the navel ring.  "I still can't believe it y'know?  Me... a mother.  And your Daddy doesn't even know yet.  It's a surprise for later..."

Jake slowed down and stopped, hiding behind a tree when he heard Frankie's voice ahead of him.  Who was she talking to?  Who was getting a surprise later...  Despite his common sense, he eavesdropped for a little while just in earshot of his wife.

She chuckled softly.  "There's so much in the world you're going to see... so much we can teach you.  Your daddy's a good man, stubborn as all hell, but then so am I.  I can see a lot of head butting and war of wills in the future.  So what's it going to be?  Little man or little lady?  What would your daddy want the most? Hmmm... good question..."

Jake's breath caught in his throat. Daddy?  Little man or little lady?  'Oh my God!' he thought.  'I... we... she...' As the random thoughts stuttered through his brain, it all dawned on him and he leaned against the tree.

"Of course... I know he'll be happy either way.  But he's so good with his godson, you and LJ are gonna get along OK, I know it.  And Aunt Shay and Uncle Frank... they're going to spoil you rotten, I can tell already.  Not to mention Aunt Alex too."

Jake pushed off of the tree and silently made his way around to just behind Frankie.

She let out a little sigh as her breath caught.  "You'll never know your grandmother I'm afraid.  She's too stubborn to admit that she's wrong.  She doesn't like me very much anymore.  And your Uncle Eric... he would have loved you almost as much as your daddy and I will.  I'm so sorry you won't get to know him."

"Baby..." Jake whispered.

Frankie jumped off of the tree and whirled around, her hands coming up to wipe the few tears off of her cheeks.  "What now, Jake?  Come to harass me some more?"

"No baby, I came to apologize for pushing you."  He smiled tenderly and reached out for her.

Frankie melted into his arms and hugged him tight.  "I ... I'm sorry Jake. I just -"

"I know Frankie."  He pulled Frankie back and smiled up at her.  "I know."

The look on his face, the soft tender smile... Frankie blinked.  He knew. "I..."

"Was waiting for the right time to tell me?"

"Yeah... something like that."  She half smiled.  "I called Father Michael on the way to the airport and talked to him.  He said to tell you congratulations and he fully expects to see the both of us in about 10 months for a baptism and christening."  At Jake's boggled expression, Frankie laughed.

Once Jake caught on, he pulled his wife into his arms again.  "I love you Francesca Marie Shaw.  And I don't care if it's a boy or a girl."

"Liar." she whispered as Jake slowly lowered them both to the ground.  He put his back up against the tree and cuddled her close to his chest.

"So maybe I am." he grinned, stroking her hair as her head came to rest on his shoulder.  "I want you to be happy and healthy and I want our child to be happy and healthy.  But, if I had a choice..."

Behind the same tree that Jake had been hiding, Frank and Shay winked at each other before sneaking back to camp to let everyone know that everything was OK again between Frankie and Jake and that they'd be a while before making it back to camp.

***********

The Shaws confess and Cody goes bump in the night....stay tuned!!!


	13. The Ride's Over

***********

Later that night, after the guys had warmed themselves up from their surprise dunking in the ice-cold lake, everyone was back around the campfire.  As with the night before, all were wrapped in blankets and snuggled up close - everyone except Katie and Cody.  Both of them looked so lonely it broke Shay and Frankie's heart.

"Hey, Mr and Mrs. Shaw..." Ty spoke up.

Both Frankie and Jake blinked and raised up.  "What?" they said in unison.

Everyone bust out in laughter.  That was so adorably cute it was funny.

"You two got your problems worked out and all?  I mean, that was one heck of a showdown this afternoon when we got back from the lake."

"Yeah dude, Alex and I were rather worried about you two.  You all cool and all man?"

Jake chuckled softly and kissed his wife's ear softly.  Under the blanket, one hand had started massaging the soft swell of her lower belly.  From what Frankie had told him, she wasn't far enough along to show physically, but it was an emotional thing.

Frankie smiled softly at their concern and slid her eyes closed.  She felt his hand on her stomach.  "Yeah, Christian, we're cool." she said softly.

Alex didn't miss the glow in her voice or the glow on Jake's cheeks.  "Damn.  You two make out like a pair of rabbits!" she laughed.

Everyone bust out laughing again.  But when it calmed down, Frankie tilted her head up at Jake.  Everyone watched them for a moment, Frankie leaning back against Jake, her head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around her.  There was something different.

"We weren't making out like bunnies." Jake said softly.  "I was apologizing for being an ass... and Frankie was telling our child what kind of parents he or she are going to have."

"Child?!" Alex sat up straight.

Frank and Shay just smiled, snuggling closer together.

"Parents?!" Monica and Ty shouted at the same time.

"HOLY SHIT!" Cody burst out.  All nine other pairs of eyes turned to him.  Cody blushed to the roots of his hair and murmured an apology.  "Congratulations you two!"

"Yes indeed, congratulations!" Katie said enthusiastically.

"How far along are you?" Monica asked.

"Doctor says I'm about a month along.  I didn't know until the morning we left Chicago.  That's what I've been keeping a secret for the last few days.  Doc said I'll be fine as long as I take it slow, then I should be fine.  That's why I didn't go kayaking on the lake with you this morning.  With the pain I've been feeling in my chest and the potential danger, Shay and Frank kind of held my head in the toilet for a full swirly until I held off the practice."

"Wow... congratulations you two!  I know you'll both make great parents." Christian said brightly.

Right about the time that everyone else was about to offer up their congratulations, another severe storm hit the Black Canyon and scattered the group to their respective tents for the evening.  The lightening was sparse, but the rain fell steadily in large heavy droplets and the thunder was loud and constant.  

--

Cody woke to the sound of a soft tortured cry.  At first, he thought it was just an echo from the nearby woods, perhaps the cry from one of the wood creatures.  But when the whimper came again, he realized it was coming from the tent next to him.  It was Katie.  

Unsure of what to do, he quietly pulled on his boots and wrapped himself in a blanket and hurried to her tent.  He slipped inside quickly and tossed the wet blanket in the corner and removed his wet boots before approaching her.  He knelt down beside her and could see she was still asleep and when another loud boom sounded from the heavens, she whimpered and rolled onto her side, facing him.

He found he could not stop himself from reaching out and gently brushing the hair from her forehead as he whispered softly to her that everything was going to be fine.  

Katie heard the soft murmur in her sleep and quieted. She reached up and twined her fingers with those of the hand that comforted her during her sleep.  Funny, no one ever comforted her during this nightmare.  It was the same one she experienced every time there was a loud storm.  That revelation drew her from her sleep and was startled to see the hand she held was real.  "Co-Cody."

"I..I heard you cry out...I wanted to make sure you were okay," he explained nervously as she released her grip on his hand.

Katie sat up and drew the blanket up to her chest.  "Thank you, I'm fine."

Cody nodded.  That was his cue to go.  He headed back toward the exit and reached for his boots.  

"Caleb..."

He turned sharply to gaze at her through the darkness.  "Who told you..."

"I asked Shay.  Stay, Caleb..."

There was a softness to her voice, a huskiness he had not heard before.  "I..." He was at a loss for words.  Was this what he wanted?  Was it really what she was asking?  Or did she merely want someone to hold on to while she was frightened by the storm?

Katie tossed the blankets aside and moved to her knees.  "Come here," she breathed and held out a hand to him.  

He took her hand as he went to his knees in front of her.  He brought her hand to his chest and held it there.  "Kathryn..."

Katie brought her other hand to his cheek, then let it slide down to his shoulder and pulled him toward her.  She brushed her lips to his gently in a questioning gesture.

Cody sighed happily before deepening the kiss, branding Katie as his own.  He lowered her gently to the bedding as their hands explored each other and their bodies molded themselves together in perfect union.  His last rational thought before his lips claimed hers again was that he owed Donovan for forcing him to come along on this "vacation".

************

Shay woke early to the continued drizzle of rain.  Apparently the storm had not let up all night.  She crawled to the tent flap and peeked outside.  The skies were dreary and it did not look as if it was about to let up.  She sighed loudly as she donned a pair of sweats, jacket and tugged on her boots.

Frank moaned lazily as he rolled on to his back and groped beside him blindly.  "Get your ass back over here, Mrs. Donovan," he ordered playfully.

"Sorry BossMan...nature calls," she replied with a chuckle.  Pulling the hood over her head, she stepped out of the tent and headed toward the facilities.  

Almost on cue, each of the women exited their tents with the exception of Katie.  Shay laughed to herself.  Maybe it was true; there was some unwritten law of nature that prompted women to go to the ladies room in groups.   

With the camp waking, even with the light drizzle, the men started to make their way out to join their wives or significant others.  That was what caused the whole group to stop dead in their tracks; the sight of Katie, followed closely by Cody, exiting her tent.

Frank came up behind Shay and pulled her back into this embrace.  "Now, would you look at that," he whispered.

"I'm looking," Shay replied with a grin and nudged Frankie who stood close by.  "Check out Katie...she's blushing from head to toe."

Frankie nodded and laughed.  "So is Cody."

"They make a cute couple," Jake added as he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and rubbed her lower belly protectively.

Katie glanced at the group who stood in the rain staring at her and Cody.  "I can't believe you people," she said, shaking her head.  

After everyone had taken care of their personal needs, Katie walked to the edge of the campground.  She could hear the roar of the raging river below.  Turning back to the group, her expression was a bit resigned.  "I don't know how to tell you this, Mr. Donovan, but I don't think your group will be kayaking the white waters this trip.  The Gunnison is too angry after these storms."

Frank's chuckle took Shay by surprise.  She knew he was looking forward to the trek.  He further surprised her when he swooped her up into his arms and headed back to their tent.  "That's quite all right, Katie.  I've had plenty of rides this vacation," he said as he disappeared into the tent with a giggling Shay holding tight; heading for yet another ride.

************

Still wondering what the ladies did with those screen caps?  Watch for the Epilogue. ~g~  and thanks for reading!  A special thanks to those who reviewed or let us know by email how you enjoyed the story!  We enjoyed telling this little tale and your acknowledgement made it worthwhile!  --Shel


	14. Epilogue

************

EPILOGUE -

The beginning of a new week found the happy campers back in the real world.

Monica and her husband Tyler were back in California.  That Monday morning, as Monica walked into her private practice office, she was grinning rather evilly.

"Hold ALL my calls for the next few hours.  And when my husband calls this morning, give him this message for me..."

--

Christian and Alex - who had taken an additional week off to spend with him - had made the flight back with Monica and Ty.  However, Christian had to go into his office and take care of a few things before he took the rest of the week off from his beachside business.  As he kissed Alex goodbye and left her in bed, he found himself wondering why she was grinning like a cheshire cat...

--

Frankie rolled over in bed and elbowed Jake.  "Time to get up baby.  You're going to be late for work."

Jake growled and cuddled up next to his wife, but eventually dragged out of bed and made his way into the nest.  He found Frank and Shay sitting at the briefing table while Cody sat at his computer downloading and printing the latest uploads from the Justice Department Bulletin Board.  Messages, files and photographs shuffled in rapid succession as he sipped his coffee.  When the last file downloaded and appeared on his screen he had just taken a sip of coffee and spurted it all over his console and screen.

"Cody?!" Donovan called hearing his techno-whiz spew his drink.

"Oh, man!  Boss, you are NOT going to believe this!"

Frank and Jake quickly made their way to Cody's computer and crowded around behind him to get a look at what he was gaping at.  Neither one noticed Shay as she quietly made her way from the room with a cell phone in hand.  As she snuck out, she dialed Frankie while trying not to bust out laughing.

There, on the screen, in full blazing Technicolor glory, were four naked backsides that appeared - one the color of brown sugar, one a golden tan with a shark tattooed on the right cheek, one very obviously Hispanic and one that had Frank turning a shade of green.  All of them were captioned with "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED BUTTS - Call 1-800-Jump-mee with information leading to the capture of these delectable asses!"

Shay quickly closed the door to break room and slid the lock in place when she heard "SSSSHHHHHAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!"

--

~finis~

... for now at least...


End file.
